Short Stories of a FemaleFaun, Book 2
by Indentity.Classified
Summary: Will Mia EVER be able to live in peace and fadeout all the Drama in her life?   Continuing on from Book 1, this is just another Mia-themed adventure in the life of a familiar Female Faun.
1. Chapter 1 of Book 2

[ Chapter 1 of Book Two ]

Mia sighed as she Jackson entering the cafeteria. Someone has pushed him down again, causing him to drop his lunch.  
>Mia bit her lip, wishing she had a dominant personality. If she did, she would've gone over there and gave them a piece of her mind.<br>"Hey Jackson, got a spot over here for you!" someone called out.  
>Mia, just as Jackson did, looked over to see who'd just called him. Mia didn't know the boy. He'd been one of the gorgon monsters at Monster High with green snakes for hair and sun glasses on his eyes.<br>Jackson stood, gathering his lunch and walked over to the boy's table. The mysterious boy offered a cool smile.  
>Mia breathed a sigh of relief. <em>Thank god<em>.  
>"Mia, would you stop staring now?" Kim asked across from her, feeling uneasy as she bit into her eyeball sub.<br>Mia turned back around. "Huh?"  
>"You've been <em>ogling <em>the new guy _all day_. It's getting real old, real fast…" Kim was irritated, her stomach still upset over the odd, dorky Normie.  
>Mia looked down, feeling bad that she'd been staring. She swirled her spoon around in her Scallop Stew. "What do you mean? I haven't been <em>ogling <em>him. I'm just worried…everyone's been trying to bully him lately…"  
>"And you want to step in and help, blah, blah, blah…" Kim rolled her eyes. "Why help him anyway? It's not like he's one of us, he's a <em>Normie<em>."  
>Mia glanced up at Kim. "So what? Why does he being a Normie matter?"<br>"Are you _kidding_ me right now, Mia? Normie's are dangerous! They can't be trusted; you never know when they'll flip on you."  
>"I don't think that's true, I've met other Normies and they don't seem like that…" Mia said quietly, sinking in her soup.<br>"They're lying to you!" Kim's fist pounded on the table.  
>"I don't know, Kim…"<br>"Didn't you say that one stole your boyfriend?" Kim's voice rose, drawing attention. "Isn't that proof enough for you? Normies can't be trusted!"  
>Mia scooped a spoonful of creamy stew and Scallops in her mouth, daring not to answer Kim. She was growing uncomfortable as more people stared, just <em>waiting <em>for her to respond to Kim. "W-Well…maybe your right, Kim." Mia didn't meet Kim's eyes. She pleaded silently, begging her to sit. She hoped that her silent thoughts got to her.  
>Kim sat, returned to her eyeball sub. "Of course I'm right…"<p>

Across the cafeteria Jackson sighed as Deuce explained how hot-headed some ghouls could be.

"Hey Cara?" Mia asked as she leaned against the doorway of Cara's bedroom.  
>Her little sister stopped research on Normie blogs and turned around to greet her sister with a smile. "Hey, Mia. What's up?"<br>"About Normies…they aren't bad…right?" Mia asked quietly, closing Cara's bedroom door and taking a seat on her bed.  
>Cara blinked at older sister, wondering what brought on this sudden question. "Not all of them. Why?"<br>"Well, you see, there's this new guy at our school and he's a Normie, but-"  
>"There's a <em>Normie <em>at your school?" Cara asked excitedly. "Oh my god, what does he look like?"  
>Mia blushed pink, thinking of when she first spoke to Jackson. "Well, he's, um, cute, a little nerdy and geeky, but it suits him. He seems smart, I guess, but I tell since I don't have any classes with him – he's one of the sophomores, did I mention? He seems sweet and his eyes are as blue as the ocean and they're really dreamy. And then there's his smile, it's really adorable. And he left eyebrow is pierced, isn't that cool? And, and, and…um, and…" Mia ran out of words.<br>Cara giggled. "He sounds really cute. So, do you like him?"  
>"L-like him?" Mia winced back like she took a blow to the stomach. "N-n-no! He's just a friend…"<br>"A really cute friend." Cara noted.  
>"Well, yeah, but…well…I can't like a <em>Normie<em>, god Cara!"  
>"I don't see why not. Technically <em>we're <em>part Normie and besides, what does it matter? If you like him then you like him, you can't help who like, and a crush is a crush no matter what." Cara offered a smile to her older sister.  
>Mia face reddened. "Well…I guess you're right, but still…I don't even know him all like that."<br>"Then _get _to know him – duh. Why don't you ask him on a date?" Cara said, eager to help her older sister as much as she could.  
>"Well, I don't know…" Mia points at her knobby knee.<br>"Then don't know, don't even think about it! Just ask him, I'm sure he'll be delighted to go on a date with you, Mia. In fact, I _know _he will because you're the greater monster at Monster High." Cara giggled. Mia smiled lovingly at her sister and stood to trap her in a bear hug. Together they smiled. Mia thought to herself, she was lucky to have a little sister like Cara.

Mia sat in her room, lying across her bed with a pillow squeezed to her pounding chest. She was staring at the wall, wondering if Jackson would actually accept her if she was to ask him on a date. Then, out of nowhere, Dakota appeared in her mind, along with Rocco. She sighed.  
>How was she going to handle <em>three <em>guys?


	2. Chapter 2

[ Chapter 2 ]

"I mean cool, whatever." Frankie said, smiling at Jackson.  
>He smiled back, watching as she left. His smile disappeared, Mia sighed from behind the corner wall where she was watching. Jackson, her monster crush, had just <em>accepted <em>to go on a date with _Frankie Stein_. A frown found her face.  
>"Oh, Jackson…and just when I decided to find the courage to ask you out." She mumbled.<br>She jumped at the hand that fell on her shoulder, her shoulders stiffening and her eyes hide. Her head turned slowly as she wondered who had been watching her.  
>Her eyes blinked, it had been a boy from her fifth period Monsters Lit A.P. class.<br>Her shoulders relaxed, slumped in their place.  
>The boy blinked one eye, the other followed. He groaned, slowly lifting his arm to point where Jackson was.<br>Mia turned her head to where Jackson had been. He'd disappeared already. She sighed again. "Looks like I missed him again…"  
>The boy groaned, speaking in the language of Zombie. "Ughhhhh…ughhh, ughhh ughhhh ughhh." His voice was a tad bit deep, but more groggily if anything, yet it was still kind and caring.<br>Mia looked up at her zombie classmate, not sure what he was saying, but thankful that he cared enough to reach out to her. "Sorry, I_ just_ started taking Dead Languages so I have no idea what you're saying, but thank you anyway."  
>His arm falls back down, as does the other one on Mia shoulders. He attempts to nod. "Ughhh, ughh ughhhh ugh ughh."<br>Mia smiled apologetically, wishing she knew what he was saying. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better,"  
>His tried to smile, his chapped dry grey-pale blue lips sketched, showing his yellow-white teeth. Mia smiled too, trying to show the boy that his efforts had <em>some <em>affect. He turned around slowly, beginning to walk away. Mia blinked, giggling just a little.  
>She'd have to thank Ghoulia's cousin with something ( a card maybe? ) next time she saw him.<p>

"Hey Mia, can we talk?" Kim said, sitting her purple-pink try down at the table. She slides into her seat across from Mia.  
>Mia nodded, not able to look at her as she sucked down her fruit punch juice in a box.<br>"Alright, well, you see, I want to apologize about being monstrous. I seriously, _seriously _didn't mean to snap at you like I did. I just…I don't know, that Normie gives me the creeps I guess." Kim shuttered in her custom MH black lettermen's jacket that she earned from being in the Crasketball Team – she'd been the only girl, but that didn't matter to her. She was a hardcore fan of the sport. "But yeah, I just wanted to say that I was sorry. Will you forgive me, Mia?"  
>"Of course I will, Kim. I know it wasn't your fault, you were just a little crabby about Jackson." Mia smiled at her friend.<br>"Uh, yeah." Kim said, not having even bothered remembering the Normie's name. She wondered why Mia did. "So anyway…"  
>"Anyway?" Mia blinked.<br>"Want a sugar cube?" Kim offered, lifting out her hand. In it was sugar cubes. She smiled at Mia, hoping this would official be the thing that made amends between them.  
>Mia bursted into giggles. "Sure," she said taking one. "Thanks."<br>"It's no problem, ghoul friend." Kim said playfully.  
>Together they flicked the sugar cubes in their mouth, enjoying its high-powered and leaving-an-impact taste. Just before they could start eating their lunch, grey pants and a yellow shirt appeared before them. The sugar cube Kim had just ate was leaving a bad aftertaste in her mouth. She and Mia looked up to find Jackson and his grey and black checker board vest.<br>Kim's stomach felt indifferent, she felt like she needed to be in automatic defense mode.  
>Again she wondered: what was it about this Normie that didn't sit right with her?<br>"Hey there, Mia." He said sheepishly, the collar of his bright yellow shirt.  
>"You know my name?" Mia blinked, her eyes softening.<br>Jackson chuckled nervously. "Well yeah, you're in the Chess Club too, aren't you? Ghoulia told me to come and find you since I couldn't speak any zombie and Chess Club is kind of…well, you know."  
>"Yeah, that place is <em>filled<em> with zombie." Mia offered a friendly smile.  
>"Right." Jackson smiles back, starting to get comfortable around his new friend.<br>"Why don't you sit with us?" Mia said, taking notice of the purple-pink tray in his hand.  
>He nodded. "Sure."<br>Mia slide over, offering up her seat. Jackson happily took it. "Thanks."  
>"No problem." Mia said, now perky all of a sudden.<br>Kim tried to grin at the Normie, showing that was more or less harmless.  
>"Well…um…welcome to our table! And Monster High, of course. So, um, what do you think of the place? It's nice isn't, yeah, very nice. Don't you think?" she said, speaking so fast that she wasn't sure if Jackson the Normie caught any of that.<br>He blinked at her for a moment, as if replaying what she'd said. Finally he responded. He hung his said, thinking of the lunch lady who thankfully, for his sake, served Greek Pizza today for lunch. It had been the nicest thing anyone had done for him that week, other than Deuce inviting him over to his and his cousin Heath's table and Mia and Lagoona offering a bond of friendship. "Well…" he started. "I don't know if nice is the right word, but there are some pretty cool ghouls here." He said, trying to use the common lingo.  
>Kim cringed at the sound of him saying ghoul.<br>"Um, well…that's…interesting." She looked away, beginning to eat her eyeball soup lunch. Mia smiled at closest friend at Monster High, silently thanking her for at least _attempting _to be friendly to the Normie that everyone bullied.  
>"So Jackson, what's your schedule like?" Mia asked, dipping one of her dragon scales into her mixture of spicy mustard and secret sauce that had been provided along with her lunch.<br>They were also serving Mia's favorite snack today, which made her feel a little better.  
>"My schedule? Well…" Jackson began to hunt through his backpack. He pulled out a sheet of paper and read it aloud. "First period: Hist. of the Undead, second period: Biteology Lab, third period: Monster Lit A.P., lunch, fourth period: Physical Deaduction, fifth period: Clawculus A.P., and sixth period: Dead languages."<br>"Whoa," Mia smiled at him excitedly. "I have pretty much every class you have, just not Biteology Lab and Physical Deaduction, plus mine aren't in the same order, but it still counts, right? Wow, that's so cool."  
>"Oh so you're a sophomore too?" Jackson asked, taking a huge bite of his pepperoni topping Greek Pizza.<br>"Nope, she's a freshmen, I'm the sophomore." Kim answered as Mia chewed away.  
>"Ah, I see." Jackson nodded.<br>"Yeah…" Kim looked away again.  
>For a while they sat silently, chewing on their lunch food and not speaking. Suddenly Jackson asked, "So, um, asking rhetorically, do either of you know how to express a girl?"<br>"What do you mean?" Kim asked half-heartedly interested.  
>"Um, never mind." Jackson gave an uneasy smile and went back to his lunch.<br>Mia frowned at her lunch, wishing that she could've asked him out first.  
>The feeling jealously rooted itself in her stomach.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

[ Chapter 3 ]

"Hey, Mia. What's up?" Dakota's voice said. Mia jumped.  
>Her fear had come true: Dakota actually answered. But of course he would, he always did.<br>"Well…I don't want to be a bad girlfriend; I mean I'd been thinking of telling you this all day! I wasn't, but…I didn't want to be dishonest to you because you're m-my…well, you know." Mia said, growing more nervous.  
>"Something happen?" he asked, no real interest in his voice. He didn't seem worried in the least, but he never was.<br>Mia lowered her head. As she spoke into a whisper she said, "Well…you see, I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't look at other guys, b-but that's normal, right? Girls look at other guys all the time, and I'm even guys with girlfriends look at other girls too – s-so i-it's normal, you know? Looking is normal…"  
>"Of course it is, Mia. People and monster are born with eyes to look at things…" Dakota said, growing somewhat bored. Across the world in Japan he wondered to himself, why did Mia call?<br>"Y-Yeah…but…um…is it OK? To look at other guys I mean…" Mia's face was turning red.  
>"You don't need my permission…" Dakota said, finally becoming curious.<br>"But I mean…not _look _at other guys…because I've been _seeing _them a certain way recently." Mia tried to untangle her feelings as she said them aloud. "In a different way…as in…I'm starting to _see _guys in a more…interested sort of way."  
>"It sounds like you've found someone to like." Dakota said bluntly, no remorse in his tone.<br>Mia's spine straight, she sat up in her desk chair. "W-Well…yeah…that's the case."  
>"It seems like…you're crushing on that person." Dakota said quietly.<br>He knew saying it made it real, but deep in his heart he was praying that it wasn't the truth. Although he hadn't bothered to spare Mia's deep feelings for him and pay her a call or send an email of some sort, he still didn't want her to like anyone else. The fact that he was with Mia after so many years of being her friend gave him some sort of balance. Although he didn't show it by contributing as a normal boyfriend would, he still had his feelings.  
>He actually did honestly like Mia.<br>Mia frowns, feeling bad that she was liking anyone else other than her boyfriend, and then there was that situation with his older brother… "I'm sorry…" she whispered into the phone, blinking at rapid speed because she feared she was going to cry. "…I don't know how it happened. I just started liking that person all of a sudden…"  
>Dakota sighed into the phone, his chest feeling heavy. "It's OK…just forget I asked."<br>"But it's not OK!" Mia bent over, her forehead inches away from her knees. She closed her eyes, as if that would stop her tears. "This makes me a cheater _and _a bad girlfriend! I don't want to be a bad girlfriend…"  
>Dakota listened to the sounds of her sobs for a moment, wishing that his family had never moved. Distance made their relationship too complicated. He knew he could just break off the relationship and make life a whole lot easier for the both of them, but the boy cherished his feelings towards his childhood friend. He still wanted <em>some <em>connection to her because he was afraid that their friendship was already over. He'd seen the expression Mia wore when she saw him with his other friends. She'd finally grew aware that he was becoming distant, that they were no longer as close. Mia had finally realized that they would have lesser and lesser memories together. To Dakota, this relationship was all they had left to restore what they had lost. For him, it was a link to serve as their last connection.  
>He started to feel sad as he wished he was there to pet her, to give her some means of comfort. "Mia…you're not a bad girlfriend."<br>"You wouldn't understand!" Mia shook her head, causing tears to wet the hair of her knee.  
>"Then help me understand…" he said, still listening to her cry. He now wanted to cry too.<br>Mia tried to wipe her tears, but they were uncontrollable. They had been tears of her stress. "I didn't mean to…but it happened anyway…" she sobbed.  
>"What happened?"<br>"I…I kissed Rocco…in the parking lot that day when I met that Miyako girl. I don't know why it happened, but it did and now all the gloomies won't go away…" Mia continued to cry.  
>She hadn't realized she'd used the phrase <em>gloomies<em>. She hadn't used it since she was Cara's age and she wanted to prove to Dakota that she was a grownup, that she was mature.  
>Dakota tried to laugh through his tears; he remembered how Mia used to complain about him calling her a child. He recalled how she stopped using all her baby words.<br>His laugh turned bitter as their situation grew darker. His heart ached as a thought floated into his mind: He had been betrayed by not only his girlfriend, but also his older brother, the brother he'd already was holding a grudge against for stealing a girl he liked when they were younger. His began to hiccup and wheeze, crying historically.  
>Mia listened to the voice of Minami as he tried to comfort his best friend.<br>She cried not only for herself, but also for him too.

"Oh wow…" Kim said as she walked along side Mia down the halls of Monster High.  
>"I can't believe I made him cry…Dakota <em>never <em>cries." Mia said as she stops to open her coffin shaped locker. She had to sketch on her hooves because she had been so short.  
>She tossed her backpack in her locker and Kim passes her the Dead Languages and History of the Undead textbooks she'd been trying to grab. Mia nodded her thanks, continuing to walk down the hall. Kim walked too.<br>"You know for a freshmen you've got a lot going on…" Kim looked at her short friend, wondering just what else drama she had. She was thankful that her life wasn't anything like Mia's. Kim didn't handle drama well, especially if it was some kind of boy drama. She was already having _enough_ drama with studying for the upcoming Scary Aptitude Test.  
>Mia sighs tiredly. "All of this drama is sucking the life of out me; I'm not even excited for my birthday anymore. I have nothing to look forward to."<br>"When's your birthday?" Kim blinked down at Mia, perkiness growing in her wide eyes.  
>"It's today actually." Mia said with no excitement or enthusiasm in her voice.<br>"Happy Birthday."  
>"Happy Birthday."<br>Kim and Mia stopped, turning around to see who'd mimicked Kim. It was Jackson, who was wearing a small smile. He waved.  
>Mia's heart fluttered with regret.<br>"Hey Jackson," she attempted to smile.  
>Kim raised an eyebrow at Mia disappointedly. "Come on," she said, taking Mia's wrist and pulling her off as she began to walk away. "Let's go get lunch."<br>"W-Wait, Kim! Hold on a sec." Mia tried to say, but her words didn't reach Kim.  
>Jackson followed, wondering what was wrong with Kim. She seemed angry.<br>"And my music can whoop ya'lls music!" a ghoul said loudly.  
>Kim stopped walking as she reached at the open doors of the creepateria. There she saw Operetta, bending down in Cleo's face. Cleo had been covered in food.<br>"What's going on?" Mia asked.  
>"Not sure." Jackson shrugged.<br>Kim stayed silent, watching Operetta as she passed them, leaving behind mystery in her step. Kim's eyes blinked back to Cleo, whose mouth hung open with shock.  
>Kim let go of Mia's wrist, observing the scene.<br>"I think maybe we should get out of here." Jackson suggested.  
>"I think he's right, Kim…" Mia stated.<br>Kim watched as Frankie helped Cleo off the floor. Clawdeen, Lagoona, and Draculaura went over to help. Ghoulia stayed posted by the doorway, waiting for them. They all exited the creepateria, listening as Cleo complained at Operetta.  
>"Maybe there was a fight?" Mia looked up at Jackson.<br>"Probably." He noted, turning his head as he saw Frankie turn the corner and head to the restroom with her crew of friends. "Anyway, I guess it's safe to get lunch now…"  
>"Yeah, I think you're right." Mia gave a small smile.<br>Kim followed them to the lunch line, not sure what to make of the scene. "Ghouls and their drama, what is this? Some cartoon show or something."  
>Mia giggled at Kim's joke. "It seems like it, doesn't it?"<br>Jackson grabbed a tray, and on it he put a slice of cheese flavored Greek Pizza and a carton of Milk that the lunch lady had stashed just for him. Mia, having not been that hungry because of the unsettling feeling in her stomach, just grabbed one of the available bags of brain puffs with sprinkled cheese sauce, while Kim decided on a pack of sour candy skulls and an eyeball sub – her favorite. Finally, after everyone paid for their food, they sat down at their reserved table.  
>"So how old are you anyway, Mia?" Kim asked, taking a huge bite of her eyeball sub.<br>Mia swallowed down a brain puff cheddar coded with cheese sauce. She licked her lips in satisfaction. "Thirteen." Mia answered. "As of today."  
>"Thirteen?" Kim coughed, choking on her eyeball sub. She pounded a fist to her chest. "Thirteen<em> and <em>with all this boy drama? Are you _kidding_?"  
>"Yeah, well, you know…" Mia said, forcing an awkward laugh, trying to play it off.<br>"Boy drama?" Jackson asked, aiming the question at either of them.  
>"It's nothing!" Mia said before Kim could answer.<br>"You're pulling my goat hair – he doesn't _know_?" Kim's eyes grew wide with shock. "After all the trouble he's causing you, don't you think you should tell him that-"  
>Mia quickly covered her friend's mouth with her hands.<br>"Know what? Tell me what?" Jackson glanced from Kim to Mia.  
>"Nothing! It's nothing!" Mia eyes flickered with worry.<br>"But, Mia, you need to-" Kim was shushed by a cheese sauced brain puff.  
>"Hey Jackson, we'll talk later, kay?" Mia said, grabbing Kim's wrist and dragging her from the creepateria before he could answer.<br>Kim stopped suddenly, causing to Mia to steady herself before she fell. "This is _madness_ – and not the good kind either!"  
>"I-I know, gosh…don't scare me like that, I thought my secret was going to be revealed.." Mia breathed a sigh of relief.<br>"Jeez," Kim grinned at her shout faun friend as she folded her arms. "You're life is too hectic for even a thirteen year old Normie."

"Hey Kim…" Mia said, suddenly stopping at the top of the stairs.  
>"Yeah?" Kim turned around.<br>"That ghoul…_Frankie_…Jackson has been a lot of time with her…but that's not Jackson, is it?" Mia nodded her chin to the lawn.  
>Kim blinked at her and followed her line of sight. Mia had been right, that was most definitely <em>not <em>Jackson Jekyll. But whoever it was, he had been H.O.T hot.  
>"Whoa…whoever that is, he's <em>way <em>hotter than that loser Normie." Kim noted, staring at the blue skinned boy with flame-like hair that consisted of the colors red, yellow, and orange.  
>Even from far away Mia noticed the charming dimples in his handsome smile. She grew angry. <em>Whoever<em> the boy was, he was _not_ Jackson and _because_ he wasn't Jackson, she knew that that Frankie ghoul wasn't serious about Jackson.  
>But if you looked at the facts, neither was she. For one thing, she was taken already so there was no way she <em>could <em>be serious about Jackson either.  
>"Well whatever, he's probably just, like, a friend or whatever." Kim shrugged.<br>"_Yeah_, a _friend_, sure." Mia rolled her eyes. Then she realized: what right did she have to be mad at some ghoul she barely talked to (even though the Frankie girl had claimed to be her friend)? She wasn't doing anything wrong by talking to two guys at once, after all, Mia had been to – in fact she had been someone else's _mistress_! So if there's anyone she should be mad at, it's herself. She sighed.  
>"Yeah…you're probably right." She said to Kim, a glum frown on her small face.<p>

"Dakota, I want to sort things out!" Mia said assertively.  
>"Sure…" he said a bit confused.<br>Mia took a deep breath. "Well you see, I – hey, what are you doing in my room?"  
>"What?"<br>"Hey there, sorry, but Mia's a little busy at the moment."  
>Mia glared. "I was <em>trying<em> to have a conversation with my _boyfriend_."  
>Rocco took a seat on Mia's bed, returning her glace with his own.<br>"Well, I'm sorry to hear about that, too bad I _don't_ care. Anyway, we've got a problem, little girl." He said in a serious and no nonsense tone.  
>Mia crossed her arms, not expecting that. "Well, what is it?"<br>"_You_," he said, not blinking. "Me and Dakota had a fight when I got home yesterday. He said you'd told him about us and-"  
>"There is no <em>us<em>," Mia stood, her tiny hands balled in fists. "There is _you_ and _me_, Mia and Rocco. Don't blow this out of proportion!"  
>Rocco's solid, stone-like face didn't budge. After a long pause he blinked. "So that's how you want to play it, huh?"<br>"I'm not playing anything…" Mia sat back done. "I just…I don't want to be a bad girlfriend."  
>Rocco sighed, looking away. "And does that mean being all depressed and crap over my baby brother? Don't your feelings matter too?"<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"It's obvious. You like someone else, I can see it in your eyes. Why are you even with Dakota? He's way in frigging <em>Japan<em>. Besides…" he didn't finish his sentence.  
>"Why am I with Dakota?" Mia said quietly. "Because I've liked him for so long."<br>"But that flame burned out a while ago, didn't it?" Rocco said, staring straight at her.  
>She shrank, afraid to meet his eyes. "No, it didn't…"<br>"Don't lie to yourself. You stopped liking him the moment you say her, right?"  
>Mia lifted her eyes, met his gaze straight on. "No, I was just…having doubts."<br>"Is that you let me kiss you?" Rocco said, leaning back. He puts his arms behind his head, staring at the nude ceiling.  
>"I-I…I only kissed you because…" Mia's eyes flickered to random objects in her room. "B-because…well…I…I don't know!"<br>"It's because you felt insecure compared to her. That girl's beautiful, hauntingly beautiful. You were confused, I get it. I was just some _fling _for you to distract yourself with. I understand, you just wanted someone to look at you…the way he looks at her."  
>Mia's frown twitched, she was about to cry. "He likes her…right?"<br>"Yep." Rocco sighed. "But then there's you. Poor kid, doesn't know what he wants."  
>Mia put her hands to her face, covered her eyes as she started to cry. Her hands were shaking. "So he likes the both of us…"<br>Rocco rolls over to his side, rests his face on her arm. "Don't cry like you didn't know. She's there, she's now, she's…near him. How could he not like her? She's just his type, and there when you're not. He can't help himself. He may have liked you first, but…well, you know how it goes. It's the same for us. I like you, but you like him first."  
>Mia's teeth clench as she resisted the urge to let out a whaling sob. Her insides were a mess. "Why?" she sobs through her tears. "Why did you have to like me?"<br>"So you knew?" Rocco asked, although it hadn't actually been a question.  
>"Why does he like her?" Mia continued. "Why do I like Jackson? Why is it like this?"<br>Rocco stood and went over to Mia. He bent down and pet her head, her wild blonde hair was smooth against his hand. "Don't worry…I'm a little too old now to steal my little brother's girlfriend, that'd be too childish of me now. I'd rather just get better girlfriends. As for that guy…Jackson…so that's his name…don't worry about him. I've got the feeling you'll get over it like I am…it's just a crush after all."  
>Mia uncovered her face, looked up at the werewolf she considered an old friend. "R-Really? I'll get over it?"<br>He nods confidently. "Yeah, you will. A crush is just a crush, they never last. Also, stop crying, it makes you look ugly."  
>Mia wipes her tears with the back of her hands, laughing softly and quietly. "Thank you…"<br>Rocco smiles, coming to peace with Mia and signing a truths silently with his younger brother. He's leave it to Dakota to make Mia happy for now. "Happy birthday, kiddo."  
>"Thank you, Rocco…thank you so much." She stands to hug him.<br>He pushes away, for fear of triggering his crush on her. He'd been crushing on Mia for as long as he could remember, but she didn't need to know that. "Whatever, ugly."  
>"Hey!" Mia puffed up her cheeks, letting her bottom lip pout.<br>"Later, Mia-chan." Rocco said, opening her bedroom window.  
>She smiled, having found some kind of peace. "Later…"<p>

"So…did you settle things…you know, with Rocco?" Dakota asks from Mia's computer.  
>His eyes flicker with jealous curiosity. Mia nods.<br>"Yeah, we've settled things. He says it's up to you now, whatever that means." Mia smiles.  
>Dakota nods, not looking up at Mia. "So…about Miyako…I need to explain some things to you."<br>"Yeah?" Mia's eyes dart to the wall on her right. "Um… don't worry about it, Rocco already told me about how you…"  
>Dakota's eyes squint angrily. "But don't you want to hear it from me?"<br>"No," she answers in a whisper. "It'll hurt too much if I heard you say it."  
>"But you have to face the truth! You <em>need <em>to hear this from me and no one else!"  
>"I don't want to." Mia's smile is sad. "I…just don't…"<br>"We started dating the day before you came over and met her." Dakota say, his voice coated with guilt. He hadn't wanted to say it, but they both needed to hear it, said aloud and out in the open for both of them to know.  
>Mia bit her lip, swallowed down the lump in her throat. "O-Oh…that's…I, um…"<br>"I don't want to breakup, Mia." Dakota said honestly. "I don't want us to be over…"  
>"But…if you like her…I think we should break up and…see other people." Mia lifted her eyes to Dakota finally. Their eyes met. In Dakota's raw regret, sorrow, and anguish. In Mia's was shame and a hushed anger mixed with grief.<br>"Mia…I don't want to breakup…I don't want to loss you. I don't want to leave off like this…with these types of feelings…I don't want to regret being your boyfriend." Dakota sniffed, trying his best not to show any tears.  
>"But this won't work." Mia said, closing her eyes. "This long distance won't work…I don't know what's happening when I'm not there! I can't be there to watch you or hang out with you anymore…and being in this relationship when you're so far away…it's not helping our friendship. I feel like…I feel like its ruining everything."<br>"Don't say that!" Dakota turned his head away. "You're the one that liked me first so you can't say that…"  
>"But you're the one who kissed me!" Mia shouted. "You didn't have to if you didn't like me back…that's pretending…and that isn't being true to me."<br>"Well I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, you kept looking at me the way you did…"  
>Mia shook her head, wiping her eyes when she opening them. "I couldn't help it."<br>"We shouldn't have gone out…" Dakota says, now realizing what Mia meant. She was right; he wasn't being completely honest and true with her. "But we shouldn't end our friendship like this either, Mia. We've been best friend since we were kids, we can't just end it like this."  
>"But its different now, things are more complicated…we're so far apart now…" Mia said faintly, her heart aching. "…I can't be there to hang out with you anymore; I can't be there to make new memories with you. The situations too complex, I won't always be able to be there and teleport all the time."<br>"Then maybe…it is best just to end everything."  
>Mia cough up tears, she turned away from the camera that was recording her live.<br>Dakota sighed, feeling terrible for making her cry again. "I just…didn't want _you_ to forget _me_…" 


	4. Chapter 4

[ Chapter 4 ]

Mia and Kim walked to the stairs, pausing as they stared down at Cleo causing a scene. She had been fighting with Deuce, claiming that he was cheating on her.  
>Kim rolled her eyes. "What is <em>with<em> this school?"  
>Mia blinked at the scene, watching like everyone else as Deuce tried to explain to what he had been doing with Operetta. Cleo refused to listen, not giving him the time of day to speak. Suddenly Operetta appeared and put a pair of purple headsets on Cleo's head.<br>She paused, listening. "Oh! Is this…a song about _me_?" she said in awe.  
>"Yeah," Deuce rubbed his neck. "It's all the stuff I wanted to tell you, but just didn't know how."<br>"You wrote this?" Cleo asked, looking at her boyfriend with compassion.  
>"Yeah, uh, with Operetta's help."<br>"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Cleo said, making up with her boyfriend.  
>He hugs her back, smiling.<br>"This is what you guys were doing together?" she said, her voice sugar coded and soft.  
>"Surprise." Deuce answered cutely.<br>"I can't believe I ever doubted you," she said to Deuce, and then to Operetta: "If I ever gave apologizes, I would give you one right now."  
>"I'll take it." Operetta shrugged.<br>"Oh, Cleo squealed. "_You _should sing my song at the school assembly on Friday, then everyone can hear you and, _of course_, be reminded _my _wonderfulness."  
>"Ah, no, I don't sing live <em>ever<em>." Operetta replied, putting a hand to her chest. "My voice kind of does stuff to people. It's only safe to listin' to on a recordin'."  
>"I've got to go play this song for all my ghouls – they'll be so <em>jealous<em>." Cleo sang, looking back at Deuce.  
>Just then Frankie and Jackson were seen walking together, instantly Mia's eyes went to Jackson. She couldn't really tell or make out what they were saying, but she tried, squinting her eyes as if that would help. Kim shook her head at the young faun.<br>When would she learn?  
>"Frankie!" Cleo called, trying to catch her attention. "Check out my what super awesome boyfriend did!"<br>Frankie, too deep in her conversation with Jackson to notice Cleo, continued talking. A sad-like expression crossed her face, as did Jackson's. Just then Cleo ran up to them, holding out the headphones for them to hear the song Deuce had made.  
>Although couldn't hear what he was saying, she could certainly see the worried expression on Jackson's face. He ran, trying to make it up the stairs. Mia leaned out, worried for her friend and the guy she was currently crushing on.<br>He fell to his knees mid-way up the steps and suddenly a green glow emerged from him.  
>Finally Mia could make out what Frankie was saying. "Jackson, what's happening?"<br>Suddenly the whole student body, including Kim and Mia gasped. Jackson removed his glasses as his clothes, skin, eyes and even hair began to change.  
>"Jackson!" Frankie called.<br>Mia froze in her place, as did Kim. Jackson had now just become the blue skinned boy and flame-like hair that was red, yellow, and bright orange.  
>"Hyde?" Frankie questioned.<br>"Yo, what is everybody lookin' at? Oh wait," the handsome boy said, putting a finger to his cheek. "That'd be me."  
>Mia watched as he sudden let out a yell and jumped on the wide stair railing, sliding down it until he came to a stop at the gargoyle. He puts his foot to its head to keep himself balanced, letting out another yell, although even louder.<br>"Hyde in the house…" Mia heard him say. She could not believe her eyes.

Mia sighed, watching as Frankie dragged him outside, most likely onto the school's front lawns. "What is happening with the world?" she asked herself.  
>"What is with this <em>Normie<em>?" Kim asked aloud. "How _COOL _was that?" she cheered.  
>Mia glanced over at her. Kim offered an apologetic grin. Mia sighed. "That was not <em>cool<em>. I thought he was hurt or something."  
>"Oh, he's fine." Kim waved Mia's worry away as she grabbed a bag of brain puffs with sprinkled cheese sauce from the lunch line.<br>"He's _not _fine, Kim!" Mia said, defending her conflicting back-and-forth emotions as she grabbed some Kelp and one of each of sea salt and honey. "He _just_ found out that he _isn't only _half Normie, but also half _monster_. He must be so confused…"  
>"Well, yeah, duh, jeez, Mia." Kim rolled her eyes. "Weren't you?"<br>"I've known all my live, it's different…" Mia said, paying for her lunch and following Kim to their usual table.  
>"Well whatever," Kim sat, obviously not the least worried. "He's got that Frankie chick, right? He'll be fine."<br>Mia pouted her lips, poking her out as she puffed up her cheeks like a blowfish. _That_'s what she had been _worried _about.

Mia sighed. Kim stopped, causing Mia to slam into her. She stomped her foot angrily.  
>"Stop sighing!" she turned around to Mia. "You're driving me CRAZY!"<br>"Sorry." Mia said apologetically.  
>"Whatever," Kim flicked a sugar cube in her mouth. "Just stop sighing…"<br>"Kay." Mia took the sugar cube Kim offered her. She was about to sigh again, but then Kim again her a look. She hadn't meant to annoy her closest friend, but she couldn't help it. She'd been sighing _all _week, worried about her crush. Was he alright? How had he been taking the news? Was he OK? Mia didn't know and didn't know how to check. She hadn't been seeing him all week, since she was a freshman and all. But he wasn't even eating lunch with Mia and Kim, or even going to chess club! Mia hadn't seen him at all and she was _beyond _worried.  
>"Kim, what am I going to do? I don't know how to get in contact with him…what if he woke up somewhere, I don't know, somewhere dangerous!"<br>Mia winced at the fist falling lightly on her head. Kim rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a boyfriend or something?"  
>"No…we broke up…" Mia said quietly, allowing herself to feel down for a moment in front of her friend. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn't so much as shown a heartbroken expression.<br>"Why?" Kim asked with her eyebrow raised, as if Mia had down the most stupidest thing ever.  
>"Well because it turned out that he didn't really like me as much as I thought. He liked me, sure, but not in a ghoulfriend-boyfriend way…" Mia coughed up a bitter laugh.<br>"That…" Kim began, searching her mind for a word. "Sucks."  
>"Yeah. Well, at least he was honest with me, I was sort of happy when he told me that his feelings weren't real. I'd rather he…tell me the ugly honest truth than lie to my face. I'm thankful, but I don't know how I'm gonna get over this." Mia's expression turned grim.<br>"Love sucks." Kim said, sighing darkly. She sighed.  
>"Yeah…" Mia agreed.<br>"This is depressing even me – and I _so _don't even get depressed. Come on, let's go find that cute adorable dorky loser nerd Normie." Kim said, grabbing Mia wrist and charging down the school hallways.  
>"Oh, so <em>now <em>you think he's cute and adorable?" Mia mocked, smiling up at Kim even though Kim hadn't been looking at her.  
>Kim looked back at Mia, shrugging. "No, not really, but you like him, so I thought I'd at least <em>try <em>to compliment him for your sake."  
>"Oh," Mia blinked. "Well, thanks."<br>"Hey – there's he is!" Kim pointed excitedly, spotting Jackson as he walked into the Scarebrary.  
>"Follow that Normie!" Mia cheered, just as excited as Kim.<br>There was something about her best friend that always made her feel better. Maybe it was her energetic personality? Or her dominant confidence that powered over all and gave her the courage she needed to face her biggest fears or worries?  
>Or maybe it was just because she was always carrying sugar cubes?<br>Mia and Kim enter the Scarebrary. Mia was never so happy before, as she discovered the new place of her dreams, a room _full _of books with the tallest of bookshelves.  
>It had been her dream to find such a place, it had everything she wanted: more books than computers, a sweet old librarian, a dreamy cute library assistant, <em>and <em>silence.  
>Mia stared at Jackson, who was stamping some kid's book that was being returned. He sat the book behind him, on top of another book that had been a part of a collection of neat-pilled books. He'd have a lot of organizing to do later…<br>"Hey Jackson." Mia said, suddenly popping up in front of him.  
>He gave her a crooked smile. "Hey there, Mia."<br>"I've been wondered about you," Mia bite her lip. "Are you _okay_?"  
>He looked at her for a moment, not sure what she was talking about then. Then he remembered. "Yeah, I'm okay. How's Kim been?"<br>"Good so far." Mia smiled warmly, having been comfortable in a room full of books.  
>"Uh, so, has all your drama been solved or whatever?" Jackson asked in an awkward, geeky way, though he had been genuinely interested.<br>"Yeah, sort of." Mia tried to smile as she clasped her hands together behind her.  
>"That's good." Jackson smiles his adorable crooked smile again. "So, did you eat already?"<br>"Yeah, with Kim, um, just now. We had the eel with wild mushrooms, plus a side of cream of nute. It was good." Mia perked up, still tasting the satisfied lunch in her mouth.  
>Jackson tried not to cringe. He'd never get use to the lunches here. "That's good you and Kim enjoyed it."<br>"Well, yeah…" Mia's face grew a soft pink.  
>"Well, um, yeah, so did you want something in particular?" Jackson asked, helping one of the students check out a book. He scanned the monster's library card, stamped the book with a Due Back At This Time stamp, and returned both the book and ID to him.<br>Mia looked over at the student. He had a blue fish for a head. She wondered how he saw things around here.  
>Her eyes follow him as he left. "Um…no, I didn't really…come for anything."<br>"I see. Well how about checking out some of our local books? We have some really great ones surprisingly." Jackson said confidently.  
>"Surprisingly?" Mia said giggling.<br>"Yeah," Jackson rubbed his neck. "I didn't think an all Monster's school would have a lot of good books, but surprisingly I was able to find a good read."  
>"Oh, I see. That's good." Mia nodded.<br>"How about checking this one out? I like it a lot." Jackson handed Mia a blue. The cover of it was dark blue and the page a soft tan brown. She opened it to the cover and rubbing the symbol that was on the front page. It had been a book on the history of Monster High.  
>Mia looked up at Jackson with curious eyes.<br>"You actually…like this book?"  
>"Well, yeah. I may not like a few of the students, but the school itself isn't so bad. Headless Headmistress Bloodgood is a very kind person. She cares for Monster High deeply and her students are her life. Not to mention there's you here…It's a pretty good school."<br>Mia's face brightened to a neon red. Had she heard him right? "I'm here…?"  
>"Yeah, you and Kim, Deuce and Lagoona, and then there's Draculaura and…Frankie." Jackson turned a slight pink at the mention of Frankie's name.<br>"O-Oh," Mia felt embarrassed. "W-w-well…u-um, it's good that you're getting along with other people. I-I'm glad you're making friends."  
>"Yeah, me too. You and everyone else I've met have been really kind so far. I'm glad I got meet such cool Monsters…I'm glad I ended up at Monster High."<br>"Yeah." Mia nodded. "I know how you feel. I only have Kim to talk to really, but I'm still glad to be a student here, even if I get a little lonely at times."  
>"You don't have any other friends?"<br>"No, not really…I just had a recently fight with my best friend so we're not really talking anymore, but we weren't really taking anyway. And I know some of the upperclassmen, but we rarely talk. Since Kim is a sophomore, I don't get to see her as much…and then there's you…I don't get to talk to you a lot. You seem really…" Mia paused, looking away. "…really busy lately. With that Frankie ghoul."  
>"Well, not anymore." Jackson concluded, telling Mia his troubles. "We decided to take a break until I sort things out with my…um, <em>alter ego<em>. Plus she has Monster Mashionals coming up soon anyway so she was going to be busy regardless…"  
>"Oh, I see." Mia bite her lip. Was she the type of ghoul to interfere in other's relationship?<br>"That's the case." Jackson said, beginning to sort through the returned books.  
>"Hey Jackson." Mia said quietly. Suddenly the library became so quiet it was unbearable, the spacious building became stuffy and crapped.<br>"Yeah?" Jackson turned back around. Mia took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.  
>She'd been ready to take the weight off her shoulders, ready to confess her biggest secret of all. "I have something to tell you."<br>"Sure." The half-Normie half-Monster blinked at her, continuing to organize the returned books.  
>"I like you." She'd finally said it. She grew stiff as she stood there, confessing her crush to a boy she barely knew.<br>"I like you too." Jackson paused to turn back to her. He flashed his adorable lovable crooked smile. "You're a really great friend."  
>Mia's shoulders slumped forward as she sighed. She put her hand to her forehead. "No Jackson, that's not what I meant."<br>"Than what'd you mean?" he asked, returning to organizing.  
>"I like you, in as…like-like…as in I have a<em> monster<em> crush on you."  
>Jackson stopped organizing the returned books. "You…like me?" He said, not turning around this time to meet Mia's concerned gaze.<br>"Yeah, a lot actually." Mia mumbled, shrinking.  
>Jackson turned around, his eyes flickering apologetically. His smile was cautious. "I'm sorry, Mia." He said gently. "But I don't feel the same way.<br>Mia lowered her head, smiling sadly as she folded her arms behind her back. "I know you don't," she said. "You like Frankie, it's not hard to tell, but I just thought…if I finally told you, I wouldn't feel so stressed and tensed…I thought finally telling you and getting that off my chest would make me finally feel better because…I was being honest to myself about my feelings about you. I think it was more something I had to do if I was going to prove to myself that…I had some confidence too…that I wasn't afraid to be real with myself."  
>"Oh…" Jackson said. "Well, thank you for liking me, Mia. I appreciate your feelings."<br>"Yeah," Mia smiled cheerfully at the half-Normie half-Monster boy. "Of course you do."


	5. Chapter 5

[ Chapter 5 ]

Mia walked into the halls of Monster High wearing her oversized hand-knit red sweater, lacy pink tutu ballet skirt, old worn out and baggy jeans with a hole at the right knee that her father had gotten her for Christmas a year ago, and worn white vans, with Kim beside her.  
>She huffed, causing her annoying bangs to lift again. She had already grow tired of them bouncing against her face.<br>"Stop that or you'll mess your hair up. Your mom didn't take the time to do it for nothing." Kim stated, folding her arms and giving Mia a look.  
>"I know…but still…they're so annoying." Mia said, continuing to huff.<br>"Yes, but if you mess up your nice termed and neatly cut bangs, then your whole hairdo will fall apart!" Kim said, stopping in front of her locker.  
>Mia stopped to. She reached up to touch her now layered hair with annoying bangs. "Well, I guess you have a point there…"<br>Kim giggled at how cute Mia looked with her new hairdo. Somehow it suited her round face.  
>"Of course I do, silly."<br>"Hey you two, long time no see." A soft feminine voice appeared. Mia turned around, as did Kim. Jackson greeted them a awkward and crooked, but friendly grin.  
>Mia offered a timid half-grin. Her heart beat just a little quicker. "Hi Jackson."<br>Kim blinked, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey Normie." She said, turning back around to search through her locker full of all kinds of random things – Crasketball uniform, her bagged lunch, a huge glass jar of sugar cubes, but those are only _some _examples.  
>"Did you guys hear? The upperclassmen are going to Monte Scarlo since the fearleaders won the Monster Mashionals." He said, a bit excited.<br>"They are?" Mia blinked her big round eyes. "How cool! Are you guys staying for the whole weekend?" she said, directing the question to Kim, who failed to tell Mia that she was going in the first place.  
>Kim sighed, her shoulders hunched into a shrug. "Beats me, I wasn't planning to go…"<br>"But why?" Mia's head tilted.  
>Kim turned around once more, her bright yellow Dead Languages binder. "I'm not into all that stuff. I don't care about golden skulls on the glittery sidewalk or big eye-blinding signs. It's too 'glam' there for me. I'd rather keep it normal, you know?"<br>Mia giggled. "That's so _Kim_ of you."  
>Jackson chuckled too. "Well then, maybe I'll stay too. I was only going to talk to Frankie, but I'm sure she'll be busy with her ghouls."<br>"Probably." Kim said, flicking a sugar cube in her mouth. "But that doesn't mean you can't talk to her. You should go and have fun."  
>"Yeah, I guess you're right. And besides: I've already packed my bags and they're loading them on the bus now." Jackson smiling cutely, rubbing his neck. Mia sighed, clasping her hands together as her head tilted to the side and her eyes gazed adoringly at the half-Normie half-Monster Jackson. Her eyes turned gentle and childlike, her smile innocent and soft.<br>"Here. Eat this." Kim said, pinching Mia's nose and lifting it to open her mouth. She flicked a sugar cubes in Mia's mouth.  
>Mia choked on the sugar for a moment and then started to chew, following Kim and Jackson as they began to walk down the hall. "Kim! I almost <em>died<em>."  
>"But you didn't." Kim pointed out, flicking another sugar cube in her mouth. She chewed it, offering Mia a thumbs-up and an energetic smile.<br>Mia rolled her eyes, smiling. "Fine, whatever."  
>"So anyway," Kim said just as they all came to a stop in front of Mr. Rotter's door. "Have fun at Monte Scarlo, Jackson."<br>"Yeah, thanks." He nodded. "See you ghouls on Monday."  
>"Bye Jackson! See you on Monday." Mia called out as Jackson began to walk away. He looked back and gave her a wave, which in turn made her beat just a little more quicker.<br>"You've _really _got to stop crushing on him." Kim said, looking down at Mia and putting her hand to her hip.  
>"What do you mean?" Mia asked, still waving although Jackson had already turned the corner of one of the halls. "I'm not crushing anymore. I'm so totally <em>way <em>over Jackson."  
>"Yeah right." Kim rustled Mia's hair.<br>Mia shook her head and moved it away from Kim's hair, suddenly caring about her mother's fine artwork. "Whatever, I'm so not. I'm telling you, I'm really not crushing anymore."  
>"Who are you trying to convince: Me or You?" Kim asked as they entered the dimly lit classroom.<br>As they made their way to their seats, Mia thought for a moment. "Okay, maybe I am still crushing."  
>"Told you." Kim concluded as they took their seats at the fourth row of the piling seats.<br>"I think I may even be crushing on Dakota still too, silly aren't I?" Mia said as she searched through her old tan canvas backpack.  
>"Silly?" Kim said. "I don't think that word fits this situation."<br>Mia giggled. "Well, don't worry. It'll go away soon. I mean I can't go crushing on old boyfriends. Both of my boyfriends cheated on me and have found new ghouls to be with."  
>"Is that how you see all of this?" Kim lifted her eyebrows, flicking a sugar cubes in her mouth yet again.<br>"I'm kidding." Mia smiled as she took out her highlighter pink binder that she used for Dead Languages.  
>"Oh my ghoul…" Kim sighed at Mia disapprovingly as she looked at her binder. In the clear pockets on the front, Jackson's face smiled at them. "What are you, love-bitten or something?"<br>"No," Mia said, poking out her lips as she poked at Jackson eyes. "I'm just…crushing."  
>Kim reached over, taking Mia's binder. She opened the cover, only to find two notebooks. She opened the first one. In it was doodles on every page of Jackson and Mia and little love-notes Mia had written long ago, and some were recent. "<em>Just <em>crushing? Are you sure you aren't love-bitten?"  
>Mia shrugged shyly, her face glowing bright red. "Well, um…"<br>Kim shook her head as she flipped through the notebook. She stopped, opening the second one. In it had been Mia's Dead Languages notes, Do-Now's, and class-work. "Well, at least it isn't _all _filled with doodles and love notes."  
>Mia smiled awkwardly at her friend with embarrassment. "Yeah, well…"<br>"So let me guess." Kim put her elbow to her desk, resting her chin to the palm of her hand. "You still _totally _like Jackson?"  
>"I'd be lying if I said didn't." Mia said as she played with the strands of her hair.<br>Just before Kim could speak, an announcement played throughout the school. Mr. Rotter stopped writing on the board for a moment so that he could listen; the students stopped moving so much to listen too. "Good morning, Monster High students and staff! This is a Monster Service Announcement. For all of the monsters attending the field trip, please report to the school yard and get ready to get on the bus. I repeat: For all of the monsters attending the field trip, please report to the school yard and get ready to get on the bus."  
>"Looks like it's time for them to go, wonder if everyone's things are already packed on the bus." Kim said, thinking out loud.<br>"Probably if the bus drivers are ready for them to load on the bus." Mia replied.  
>"Are there any upperclassmen?" Mr. Rotter asked, his accent thick. A few of the students, including Kim, raised their hands. He looked around, counting them silently as he checked them Present on the student attendance form at the same time. "Alright, please come and get your homework for the weekend."<br>The students lifted and began walking down the steps. Kim followed. Mr. Rotter handed out their homework and encouraged them to quickly hurry and get their homework from their other classes. Although the Headless Headmistress forgot to announce it yesterday, the students who were upperclassmen didn't need to report to class this morning. They just needed to collect their homework, showing their teachers that they had been present and on time, and then report outside on the yard for takeoff.  
>Mr. Rotter squinted his eyes at Kim and looked down at his Student Attendance sheet. "Kimberly O'Hera, why aren't you going to get all your other homework?"<br>"I've decided not to go." Kim shrugged comfortably, offering a grin.  
>"I see…" Mr. Rotter said. "…Then take your seat. It's time for class to start."<br>"Yes sir." Kim said, saluting him before she turned and bounce-skipped back to her seat. Just as she took a seat, two of the upperclassmen entered the room, impatiently asking for their homework. Mr. Rotter quickly gave it to them and told them to take the whole stack to Headless Headmistress Bloodgood so that she could give them out on the bus for any of the sophomores and juniors that didn't get any.  
>"Did the senior not go?" Mia asked Kim as she flicked another sugar cube in her mouth.<br>"They have to finish taking their Scary Attitude Test today, so they couldn't go. But I think if they pass they get to go on a trip." Kim answered.  
>"Headless Headmistress Bloodgood said that we get to go on a trip with the sophomores if we all pass out S.A.T too. Isn't that cool?" one of the ghouls above them spoke, joining in on their conversation. Kim and Mia turned around to address her.<br>"Do you know where we'll be going?" Mia asked the ghoul with blue skin and eye eyes. Today, she didn't where the dark purple hat that covered her bright pink hair.  
>"I heard it's to either Seaside Frights or Long Beast Island. I don't really care one or the other, as long as I get to show off my new bathing-suit." The ghoul smiled friendly.<br>"I know what you mean," Kim said. "But I think I'd rather just hit some waves with Lagoona. She taught me some of her moves a while back. The water will make my goat hair _that much harder_ to cute because the water creates split ends, but that's alright. I'll take what I can get as long as I get to do some more surfing."  
>The ghoul giggled. "Yeah, you've got a point there."<br>Mia blinked at the sophomore ghoul who also decided not to go. Mia wondered why, but didn't ask as she noticed the ghoul trying to focus of the Do-Now. Mia turned back around, glancing at Kim, who begun translating that provided sentences on the chalkboard. Mia began to do the same.

"Hey Kim, do you know a lot of the sophomores?" Mia asked as she walked along side Kim into the Creepateria, carrying her Jackson-customized pink binder.  
>"Friends wise, not really. I just sometimes talk to a lot of them since I have most of my classes with them, like just now for example. But you have a lot of your classes with them too, right?" Kim replied as she grabbed one of the purple lunch trays.<br>Mia grabbed one too. "Well, yeah, since I have a lot of sophomore more classes."  
>"Thought so." Kim said, getting a pack of Deer Jerky that she'd save for later, a small bowl of Diceberrys, and a plate of Sea Slug soup with a carton of Yak milk.<br>Mia thought carefully as she glanced at the food. Finally deciding, she bragged a plate of tacos with horror sauce, a Werewolf Wraith energy drink, a pack of Bat-Berry Bites cookies. She quickly paid her lunch fee and joining Kim, who'd been waiting for her. She followed next to her as they found their table. It felt empty and lonely in the Creepateria with its missing students.  
>Kim picked up one of her dice-shaped strawberries. She examined her Diceberry for a moment before biting into it. She enjoyed its sweet taste. "So anyway Mia, what happened when you confessed to Jackson? You never told me when I asked a while back. I was worried, but you seem fine so I thought it's be OK to ask."<br>Mia choked on her taco that she'd dipped in horror sauce, coughing and wheezing. She quickly opened her Werewolf Wraith energy drink, gulping it down in big sips. She coughed a bit as she softly pounded against her chest. "Don't just go asking something as personal as that!"  
>Kim blinked, eating another Diceberry. "I don't see why I can't. We're best friends, aren't we?"<br>Mia watched for a second as Kim took her fork and picked up a sea slug. After a moment of chewing it, she added salt to the bowl of Sea Slug soup. Mia sighed, opening her pack of Bat-Berry Bites cookies with half the calories. "I know we are, but still…"  
>"Son of a banshee!" Kim suddenly shouted, grabbing her throat.<br>"What's wrong?" Mia asked, looking up worriedly. Kim rubbed her lips together, shaking her head as her eyes squinted.  
>"Too much salt. My bad, go on with what you were saying." Kim said, taking a long sip of her creamy and smooth Yak milk. It was refreshing against the salty taste in her mouth.<br>"Well…" Mia said, poking at the Human energy drink that was to the left corner of her tray. She had no idea why she actually bought it. She'd never tried it or anything like that. "…I totally got dumped. He just said that he didn't feel the same way and that he appreciated my feelings, but I already he'd say that before I even confessed. He has Frankie after all."  
>"Well…at least you…" Kim gazed at another of her Diceberrys with a distant expression on her face. "…at least you…were prepared for the outcome."<br>Mia looked at her worried-sick friend who bit half the Diceberry she'd been looking so intensely at. Somehow in that moment, she seemed like the wisest ghoul Mia had ever met.  
>"Yes," Mia looked down at the taco on the plate that had become cold by now. "At least…I was something like prepared."<br>Kim stared at her lunch, a blank expression on her face. That comments in Mia's notebook came back to her, replayed in her mind. Things like "Being with you was like a nightmare come true" suddenly popped into her head. All at once other comments like "You've got me head over tails" and "It was love at first fright" started reappearing in her mind.  
>She thought about them, mumbling to herself quietly. She repeated what she'd read.<br>"I'll always have a monster crush on you, no matter the century. You're immoral scary cute. With you I was batty with glee. You're so horrifically adorable. I think you're terrifyingly funny, hauntingly bright, and scary intelligent. For me you're the purrfect manster. You're spooky fun. You're my Square-Bear." Kim lowered her head.  
>"What's wrong?" Mia's eyes glanced at Kim, who'd been sitting across the table, mumbling and mumbling. Then, as Mia caught the last thing Kim had said, the words she'd wrote came back to her. She too was now recalling what she'd written. Her eyes widen.<br>Kim blinked. "I feel the same…about my ex-boyfriend too."  
>Mia's head lifted as her gaze harden intensely. Her lips parted. "Ex-boyfriend?"<br>"…We just broke up…today."


	6. Chapter 6

[ Chapter 6 ]

"So Kim, who was your boyfriend?" Mia asked as she took a seat next to Kim on the steps of Monster High. Many students pasted, only a few of them gave them curious looks.  
>"Remember that one guy whose name I said I'd never mention?" Kim said softly, a gentle grin on her face. Mia waited as she put another sugar cube in her mouth.<br>Then, she nodded. "Yeah, I remember him. He's the one who said the goat hair on legs isn't sexy, or something like that."  
>"Mm," Kim nodded. "That's him…<em>he <em>was my boyfriend."  
>"Since when?" Mia blinked, noticing a sadness flicker in Kim's eyes as she tried to smile.<br>"Let me think," Kim said, eating another sugar cubes. "It was a few weeks after I told you about him actually. He'd finally admitted that my goat legs had in fact been sexy. He admitted it to me…in secret one day after school. And then suddenly he asked me to be his ghoulfriend, and I said yes. Ever since then…"  
>"Oh." Mia looked down at her lap, feeling bad for never asking about her best friend's love life. "What was he like?"<br>"He was one of the werewolves that transferred last year from Crescent Moon Academy so that he could complete his freshmen year and continue on to his sophomore year here at Monster High. He was…" Kim paused to sigh. "He was a bit hotheaded, but he meant well. He was slow when it came to getting good grades, but he made up for it when he played with the Crasketball team. He was sensitive about everything, liked Blood sausages more than anyone on this planet, and cared about his younger sister very dearly. He was a kind manster who never strayed from his pack. He believed very much in having pride in one's pack and never betraying anyone. He was the loyal type, I guess you could say."  
>"Hey Kim, if you don't mind…would you tell me his name?"<br>"Broko…his name was Broko…he has blonde hair and sideburns…grey fur and eyes as blue as the ocean." Kim smiled sadly.  
>"Oh, I see." Mia blinks, remembering that one time she'd actually passed him in the hallways. "When did you two meet? …If you don't mind me asking."<br>"Last year," Kim lets her head fall back. She looks up at the sky. "He was in one or two of my class at the time. We didn't really speak until this year."  
>Mia stares at Kim, as if she's watching the memories replay in her eyes. "Why…Why did you two break up?"<br>Kim turns her head slightly to the side, glancing at Mia. She goes back to looking up at the sky. "We broke up because…he…"  
>Mia looked intensely with narrowed eyes at her best friend's tear stained face. "What did he do?"<br>"He says that…he doesn't like me anymore…that I'm boring and he wants to be with someone else, someone from his clan. And so this morning…I saw him walking with another wolf girl. He didn't acknowledge my presence when they walk by. And so…I knew our relationship…I knew it had been over."


	7. Chapter 7

[ Chapter 7 ]

_In my notebook I've written millions of things like: "__Being with you was like a nightmare come true, you've got me head over tails, it was love at first fright, I'll always have a monster crush on you no matter the century, you're immoral scary cute, with you I'm batty with glee, you're so horrifically adorable, I think you're terrifyingly funny, hauntingly bright, and scary intelligent, for me you're the purrfect manster, you're spooky fun, and you're my Square-Bear". I wrote these things down because in actually I do have a __Monster of a crush on you, but of course you already know. But what you don't know is: whenever I'm around you, I always get bats in my stomach and ghost bumps. I like you, and I can't help it. And although I would never admit it out loud again for fear of being regretted, I want you to know that seeing you with Frankie just rips out my heart. I really like you, and I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I'm totally head over tombstones for you, completely love bitten._

_Xoxo, hugs and stitches, signed Mia_

"Mia…seriously…this is a little much, don't you think?"  
>"What do you mean?" Mia frowned, lowering her eyes.<br>Dakota lifted a brow. "Didn't you already confess to him? What's the point of doing it all over again?"  
>"Well, I don't know…jeez. I just got to thinking one night when I was looking at my binder and that's just what I wrote." Mia said quietly, turning away from Dakota, who'd been still holding her letter on the computer screen. He reread it to himself once more as Mia pulled her knees to her chest and pressed her mouth to her knobby knees. Thinking of Jackson made her face turn red.<br>"You must really like him." Dakota concluded, shrugging although Mia couldn't see.  
>"I don't <em>like <em>him, I'm _totally _love-bitten…" Mia sighed to herself.  
>"Yeah, sure you are, Mia." Dakota rolled his eyes. His best friend was always so dramatic when it came to love. She was always misreading signals and gestures, claiming they're something when they're usually nothing. He ever wondered if she'd grow out of that…<br>"I am!" Mia suddenly snapped around and stared at Dakota with a hard, intense gaze. "I don't know what to do…I just know that I'm…like this, in love."  
>Dakota tried his best not to do another eye-roll. "Well, alright. So tell me: What is it that you like about him the most?"<br>"What do I like best?" Mia repeated to herself. "The way he snorts if he laughs too much? His glasses? His eyes? How smart he is, his girly voice? How sensitive he is, or maybe his shyness? Or…how about his talent for art? Or maybe his love for books? His kindness, or maybe how sweet he is? His silly dancing, cute adorable walk? His crooked smile, his dimples, or dyed hair? The piercing on his eyebrow that can't be seen? Oh ghoul, how am I suppose to know? I just like _him_. I don't know why, I just like him because I do, there's no reason."  
>"Okay, that doesn't make any sense. If you can't tell me exactly why you like him then…maybe you're not really in love, Mia." Dakota looked away.<br>"You don't understand!" Mia moved closely to her laptop, crawling on her warm cover. She flopped down in front of the computer, making sure her face was seen. Her eyes were wide with certainty. "You just don't get it because you're _not _in love! I just love him like I love my horns, or like I love your mom's cooking. I love him like I love my odd heel-shaped hooves," Mia looked away for a moment and looked back. "Or like I love my own style fashion. I just love these things because I do. It doesn't matter why, they're special to me and that's all, so I love them to bits and pieces. I don't need a reason..."  
>"I guess." Dakota shrugged, giving up. Maybe his best friend had been right, maybe he didn't understand because he wasn't in love, although he somehow felt he was on the right track... Either way, maybe Mia had just been being dramatic again; in all honesty, he wasn't quite sure.<br>"Hey, I've got to go, sorry, but Jackson's calling." Mia smiled apologetically, getting ready to close her laptop.  
>"Hold on, hold on! Don't go." He said just before the laptop had closed. His screen had frozen for the <em>billionth <em>time and he hadn't caught a word of what she'd just said.  
>"Fine, hold on a sec, okay?" Mia said, lifting the screen.<br>"Okay." He gave her a thumps-up sign to let her know he heard her as their connection started to glitch and freeze.  
>"Yeah, Jackson? Hello?" Mia said, getting up from her bed and leaving from in front of the recording camera.<br>"Hi there," Jackson said in a low tone with his congested feminine voice. "Are you busy?"  
>"Nope, of course not!" Mia answered a bit <em>too <em>quickly. "Umm…so what is it you wanted again?"  
>"Well, um, about your crush on me…"<br>"Yeah?" Mia sank to the floor and leaned against her bed, her heart beating quickly as she crossed her ankles and poked at the hooves.  
>Jackson hesitated. "Well, I was thinking: would you like to go to Dance of the Dead with me?"<br>"Is this a prank call?" Mia said faintly, staring blankly at her bedroom wall with wide eyes.  
>"No," Jackson chuckled, a bit nervous. "I was just thinking that the least I could do was to repay your feelings since I can't return them. So, will you go with me?"<br>"Oh. My. Hairy. Goat. Legs!" Mia stood, ghouly-joy suddenly bursting from her. Her smile was wide and joyful, her face intensely bright red. She jumped on her bed, beginning to bounce around. "I'd love to, I'd love to, I'd love to!"  
>Dakota looked back at his computer screen, questioning what Mia had been doing. He looked at her jumping dark brown goat hooves and hairy beach blonde goat legs in confusion. "What's going on, Mia?" he asked, getting no response.<br>"You'll really go?" Jackson said in his nerdy stuffy feminine voice with an excited tone. "You really mean you'll go?"  
>"Of course I will!" Mia continued to bounce, causing her neatly made bed to become messy. "Why wouldn't I?"<br>"Well, I dunno. I thought you were sort of mad…" Jackson said quietly, slightly a bit embarrassed.  
>"How could I ever be mad at you? Oh my ghoul!" Mia's eyes turned wide again as she bounced up and down. "What should I wear to the dance? And what about my hair?"<br>"Mia!" her mother said, suddenly barging in the room and opening the door. She gave Mia a mother's glare. "Stop jumping _now_! You're causing the whole house to shake for goat's sake…"  
>"But mom," Mia said, jumping up one more time and flopping down to her knobby knees. She held the receiving end of the phone away from her mouth and covered it with her hand. "I just got asked to be someone's date – to the Dance of the Dead Monster High dance!"<br>"Mia, oh my ghoul, oh my ghoul!" Rhae said, running into the room and pouncing on Mia's bed as if she'd been jumping into a pool. She embraced her daughter into a tight hug, squeezing her like a rag doll. "I'm so happy for you! That's so great, congratulations!"  
>"Thanks mom." Mia said, smiling and lowering her head as her shoulders hunched when her mother kissed her forehead. She giggled as her mom kissed her forehead again and again. "Ok, ok, enough already, I'm still on the phone!"<br>"Oh, you are? Gimme, gimme, hand over the phone." Rhae said, taking the phone. She cleared her throat. "Hello there? What may I ask is your name, dear?"  
>"Oh, um, it's Jackson, ma'am." Jackson said, getting ready to prolong his self-introduction, just in case. "I'm a friend of your daughter's, from school in fact. I volunteer to work in the Scarebrary during lunch and I'm our school's Office-Aid."<br>"Office Aid," Rhae mouthed to Mia. "What's that?"  
>Mia shrugged her shoulders, pretending to be clueless as she put her ear to the phone to listen. "Well anyway," Rhae continued to speak. "So you'll be the boy taking my loving daughter to this dance?"<br>"Y-Yes, ma'am – with your permission of course!" Jackson added quickly.  
>"I see." Rhae said, pretending to think. Mia sat up straight to give her mother's arm a good slap. She leaned her arm away and mouthed "Fine" before going back to speaking. "Well Jackson, I'm more of the 'go with the flow, do what you want' parent, but I must warn you about my husband. He's a complete worrier."<br>"Yes, ma'am, thank you for the warning." Jackson said, smiling amusingly.  
>Mia rolled her eyes, smiling too. If anything her mother had been the worrier of her two parents. Rhae tucked a strand of bleach blonde hair behind her floppy goat ear, as if already knowing what Mia had been thinking and letting her know that she'd been offended. "Anywho, moving along, I'll allow you to take my Mia to this dance, but the only condition is that I can take pictures."<br>"Mom!" Mia complained, not being the photogenic ghoul in front of others. And to take a photo with Jackson? That was too much… She much rather preferred doing the photographer behind the lens, taking photos _had _been her specialty after all.  
>"Shhh," her mom scolded, putting her index finger to her ruby red lips. "We're trying to speak, loud-mouth. So Jackson, what do you say?"<br>"I say…that's completely fine with me." The boy said, sealing the deal.  
>"Jackson!" Mia whined.<br>"Sorry Mia, but I really want to make it up to you." He said apologetically. Mia huffed, exhaling, which caused her to blow her bangs and make them scatter on her forehead. Great, now she needed them done again. Rhae giggled at her daughter, adoring her youth.  
>"Ah, to be young…It's great, wouldn't you agree, Jackson?"<br>"Yes ma'am, I would." Jackson said softly.  
>"Call me Rhae, dear."<br>"Whatever, just go!" Mia said, attempting to push Rhae from the bed. Her mother swatted her hands away.  
>"Fine, fine, I'll go, don't trip over hooves and make such a fuss." Rhae said, getting up from the bed. "And by the way, goodnight, Jackson."<br>"Goodnight, ma'am, and thank you for your permission." Jackson, his voice casual over the phone.  
>Mia took the phone from her mother and close the door shut. She then proceeded to flop down to her bed, rolling over to her back. She stared up at the ceiling. Dakota watched her with interest.<br>"Hey Jackson, mind if I call you back later? I totally forgot about something."  
>"Yeah, sure. Talk to you again next time, Mia."<br>"Okay, bye Jackson." Mia said before clicking the phone off. She listened to the buzzing dead line of her ended phone call for a moment.  
>Still, she could not believe that this was happening.<br>"So, he's taking you to your first dance? Congrats." Dakota finally spoke.  
>"Thanks." Mia said, turning her head to the side and smiling at her old, dear childhood friend. Dakota blinked in awe for a moment. Her smile had been so haunting familiar and bright that it seemed to take on a whole new level of beautiful in his eyes. Of course he'd seen that smile before in the past, but now it'd been so much more different. On Mia it on looked so much more very natural and peaceful. He sensed that his childhood friend had truly been happy at this very moment.<br>So much so in fact that he didn't think she'd think twice about taking a picture, if it had been with Jackson.

"Are you sure? You really mean it?" Mia asked, her stomach tangled and emotions haywire. "I really, _seriously _don't look weird at all in the slightest? Are you sure?"  
>"I'm sure, Mia. Glob, stop asking already." Dakota rolled his eyes from over the screen. His arms folded.<br>How many times had Mia asked now?  
>"Are you really, really sure?" she asked again.<br>"I'm really, _really _sure." He stated, encouraging this little game of theirs.  
>"Really, really, <em>really<em> sure?" Mia bit her lip, her face turning bright red.  
>"Super seriously really, really, <em>really <em>sure." Dakota grinned.  
>"But are you <em>positively sure <em>that I don't look weird or something?" Mia asked a final time.  
>"I am positively sure that you don't look weird – or something." He concluded, offering her a warm smile.<br>"Okay," she let out a loud sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. "Good, I was getting worried."  
>Rhae giggled softly at her twelve year old daughter. "Sweetheart, take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, there's absolutely <em>no possible way <em>that a daughter of _mine _– of whom I've personally styled – could look weird."  
>Mia turned around, taking a total of ten small steps. She opened her eyes in one go, before she gave herself the chance to hesitate. Her lips parted at the sight. Finally, for the first time, she'd resembled her mother in such a way that anyone could've mistaken them for twins.<br>Wearing her mother's makeup, her childlike face had been done in such a way that made her look older than how she normally appeared. For her swollen lips, Rhae had taken the liberty of soothing three sticky coats of a bright red lipstick. It had been as red as fresh scarlet blood. Flattered by a clear gloss, her lips glistened under her bedroom's ceiling-lamp and sparkled intensely, magnifying the plumpness of her cherry painted lips. Mia's eyes had been done with a glittery black eye shadow. Rhae, being an expert at these things, had gave Mia's eyes a rich new look that made them _pop_. She had done the bold lining of eyeliner across Mia's eyelids so naturally that they resembled a pointed streak so fine that it looked as if it had been done by a skilled master artist with a graceful stroke. Rhae knew that the black glitter eye shadow would give her daughter a certain mysterious look that would emulate the darkness of her eyes and yet make her dazzle like a gem in all her youth. As for Mia's puffy squirrel like cheeks, they had been decorated with a soft crushed cream color. The color, although it blended with Mia's vanilla skin tone, embraced her common skin tone and enlightened it to give it a glow. And then there was the dress of choose. It been a plain, simple black dress that stopped just above Mia's knees and wide shoulder straps, but still on Mia it looked polished and sleek. It gave the figure she didn't have some amount of high class sexiness. It would make others have the desire to debate or whether or not Mia was a petite specialty that had a unique build or just a young faun in a simple black dress. Either way, although Mia possessed a small, child-like body, the body gave her an _ump._  
>That of which was sure and did not need to be debated.<br>In her mother's tall, round at the toe black plumps with the skinny heel, Mia had grown a feet or two in size. Now, instead of being four foot eleven, she'd grown to the height of at least five foot two. In comparison to Jackson, she'd probably now finally reach her chest instead of his stomach. For Mia, although she'd never admit this to another living (or dead for that matter) soul, this height uplift for her had been _vital_. Although no one knew, Mia had been thinking of kissing Jackson all night – and her short four foot eleven height played a big role in how things were going to go.  
>She blinked, drawing a conclusion. "I look so…beautiful."<br>"Oh, Mia hunny, don't cry." Rhae said, going over to Mia's desk and grabbing two tissues. "You'll ruin my masterpiece."  
>Mia took the tissues, carefully dabbing her eyes. "Sorry, I just…I totally wasn't expecting this at all…and you worked so hard too…"<br>Rhae smiled lovingly, softly at her young faun daughter. She was such a sweet ghoul. "Why wouldn't I work hard? You're my greatest work of art, my perfect little model, my beautiful creation…oh no, now I'm tearing up. Do you see what you've done now?"  
>Dakota watched, an amused grin spread across his face. He watched mother and daughter as they embraced each other, hugging each other dearly as if they truly cherished one another. Tears continue to fall down both their faces. "You know, you guys <em>really <em>shouldn't cry."  
>"Why is that?" Rhae asked, snuggling against her beautiful daughter.<br>"Well you see," Dakota began to explain. "Girls are usually beautiful when they cry, right?"  
>"Yeah? What's your point?" Mia blinked, not following.<br>"Well, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but crying _really, seriously _doesn't suit the two of you, _at all_." Dakota concluded, although his words were harsh, he meant well.  
>"Oh shut up Dakota, no one asked you!" the faun females said in unison. Rhae, in a sour mood with her bottom lip poked out, threw a pillow at the computer screen.<br>"You're so rude! I'll never know how you came to be friends with my dear sweet little baby." She said, hugging the life out of Mia once again.  
>Mia began to laugh, suddenly feeling bubbly from the scene. She sniffed back the running snot dripping down her nose and cried just a little more. Her mom knew just as she did: Dakota would always be family, even if he'd broken Mia's heart. Her and him, would furever be best beast friends. They would be best beast friends furever and on.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

[ Chapter 8 ]

"Oh my ghoul, oh my ghoul, he's here!" Rhae said as she ran down the hallway, her goat hooves stomping against the wood. She entered Mia's room, an expression of pure, utter thrill gracing her young face. "Mia, he's here!"  
>"He's here?" Mia repeated. "Sorry Dakota, gotta go!"<br>The young teenage werewolf shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, later."  
>Mia nodded confidently; giving him a self-assured smile as she quickly closed the laptop and slid to the edge of the bed, which ruffled her fine ironed simple and plain black dress just a bit. She didn't seem to mind as she stood and stepped into her heels, slipped into them as if she'd been a pro who'd been doing it all her life. Tripping a step or two just before she actually started to walk in her all too high heels, Mia hurriedly walked behind her mother, who might as well had been skipped down the hall. When they entered the living room, a delightful smile instantly lit her face when her eyes spotted Jackson across the room, formally meeting Cara.<br>"Wow, Mia, you look so pretty – like a super model!" Cara observed as Mia stumbled to stop by her side.  
>"Yeah, um, thanks, Cara." Mia said, sparing Cara a quick glance before she looked back up to Jackson. He looked undeniably handsome in his grey tuxedo with his button up white business shirt, and yellow bow tie. He'd been wearing black leather shoes.<br>"Hey there," he said shyly. "She's right, you know…um…you actually _do _look like a super model."  
>Mia face turned instantly red. "O-Oh! Um, t-thanks…but, um, I hope they weren't harassing you too much." She offered an apologetic one-shoulder shrug.<br>Jackson put his hands up, waving them in protest. "Not at all! Your folks have been nothing but nice and kind to me."  
>"Really?" Mia asked, relieved. "Thank goodness. I tried to hurry so that you wouldn't feel…um, awkward."<br>"Oh really?" Jackson lowered his eyes, blushing as he forgot that anyone else had been in the room. His palms suddenly grew sweaty. "Well, thanks."  
>"You're…um…you're welcome." Mia lowered her eyes too, butterflies erupting in her stomach.<br>"These kids," Jin said, suddenly getting embarrassed and blushing himself. Memories of going on his first date with Rhae replayed in his mind. "How cute are they, right, mom?"  
>"Sure are," El said, examining the kids with a kind smile. "Reminds you of the good old days."<br>"I was just thinking that same exact thing." Rhae said, hitting Jin's arm with her own. She looks up at his blushing face, smiling tenderly.

Mia sat down on the curb of the road, rocking her head from side to side, enjoying the music. Jackson sighed loudly, which caused Mia to glance over at her date.  
>"What's wrong?" she blinked, her long eyelashes lightly tapping her cheek.<br>"Well, I'm worried that you're not having any fun. Sorry for ruining your night and all, and even after you said you'd go with me to…" Jackson sighed again, taking off his glasses to clean them.  
>Mia watched in silence. "But I <em>am <em>having fun. What are you talking about, Jackson?"  
>Jackson sat his glasses back to the bridge of his nose and let his head fall back. He shut his eyes. "Well…we haven't gone inside all night, you must be pretty bored, not to mention…you must think I'm a pretty lame date."<br>Mia's hand found his. She lowered her eyes when he looked at her, his lips parted in shock. Her face blazed to a deep red. "I…I never said that. So…don't…don't t-talk like that. I never said I wasn't having fun. I mean, um, it take two to tangle right? Well then…um, well, we can have fun together, right? B-By our self, out here…all…a-alone."  
>Jackson smiled, dropping a hand to Mia's head of layered hair and neatly cut bangs. "Thanks, Mia. You're a great friend."<br>Mia listened quietly for a moment as the music began to change. With her sensitive hearing, she caught the beginning to Lady Gaga's "Monster". She listened silently, suddenly all nervous again. She couldn't meet Jackson eyes as the lyrics flowed into her ears.  
><em>That boy is a Monster, M-M-M-Monster. That boy is a Monster, M-M-M-Monster. That boy is a Monster, M-M-M-Monster. That boy is a Monster…er-er-er-er. He ate my heart…<br>_"Um, Jackson…" she blinked her eyes away. As she sat there, his hand now holding hers, she grew stiff.  
>"Yeah?" he blinked, still smiling at her.<br>Mia stayed quiet, trying to some up her courage. She stayed quiet long enough for the song to change. Now, Rihanna's "Disturbia" was playing in her ears. _Bum, bum, de-bum, bum, bum, de-bum, bum…  
><em>"You already know I like you and I already know that you can't accept my feelings…but…" she took a deep breath that only sounded shaky.  
>"But?" Jackson asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. He now too was a bit stiff; his face had been red as well. No thought of Frankie entered his mind as he sat there with Mia.<br>Mia licked her lips as they grew dry. She swallowed the lump in her throat as well. She grew more nervous as she realized that Jackson had still been waiting for her to finish her sentence. She turned her head back to him. She instantly looked down when she realized how close he was to her. "Well…um…but I mean…um…"  
>"Mia…" Jackson said quietly, leaning in just a bit. Mia froze in her place, her breathing did too.<br>"Y-Yes?" she managed to say.  
>Jackson looked away. "Can I…maybe…kiss you?"<br>Mia's eyes slowly moved to the boy. She then looked away. Without being able to speak, she managed a nod. Jackson, who had paused for a moment, listened as Kesha's "We R Who We R" started to play. He leaned closer, pausing every few seconds. Mia, in a sudden panic, shut her eyes tightly, not sure what to do. How would she know how to kiss him? Would it just come to her the moment it happened?  
>Then, as Jackson became now inches from her, Dakota's words played in her head: "You never know until you know, you know?"<br>In that moment, she found her flinched forward. Her lips pressed against his suddenly, causing Mia to feel softness. Mia felt light, dazed, as if this had all been a sort of dream. Jackson hands found her shoulders, reminding her that this had not in fact been a dream at all. As Jackson pulled away, his eyes wide and stared at Mia's black dress, his face turned an intense passionate red, as did Mia's. She blinked, still a bit dazed. As they sat there, they both were silent and still, Jackson's hands still on her shoulders. They did look up as the after affect began to sit in. They had just kissed outside of the Monster High dance.  
>It had been official, Mia Tumnus, had had her very first kiss.<br>She listened as China Ann McClain's "Calling All the Monsters" ended and the official Monster High anthem began to play.  
>The Dance of the Dead had finally ended, if as signaling that it was now time for Mia to wake up from her dream.<br>"I guess I-I should…take you home now." Jackson said, quickly standing and beginning to walk off.  
>Mia blinked up, realizing what Jackson had just said. She stood, chasing after him. She jogged, hurrying to catch up.<br>She had now realized, her dream had officially ended.


	9. Chapter 9

[ Chapter 9 ]

Mia had appeared, wearing cherry brown overalls that were rolled up to her thigh, warm summer orange top, and yellow rain boots. Around her neck was a fake diamond necklace – it went with the diamond bracelet that she was _supposed _to wear to the Dance of the Dead, but forgot and left it at home – that flattered her deep collarbone. Her hair had been straighten and tied in two uneven ponytails. She'd made sure that any strands left out had been tucked behind her big floppy goat ears, while her neatly cut bangs had been brushed and parted so that there was one half to each side of her forehead. Her short nails had been painted a summer evening sun set orange and her lips glossed, if only just a bit. Her lashes were still from the layers of massacre.  
>"Thanks for dropping me off, Kim. I, um…appreciate it…" Mia said quietly, looking at her bright yellow rain boots as she scrunched up her lips tightly from embarrassment. Her face had long turned tomato red.<br>Kim giggled. "It's no problem, Mia."  
>"So, um…when are you leaving again?" Mia asked, looking away as Kim glanced down at her.<br>Kim offered a smile that was wide and tight. "Awe, don't be like that! I _have _to stay. You need me here, don't you? I wouldn't be a good friend if I just left you like this!"  
>"I knew I shouldn't have asked you for a ride." Mia mumbled, stiffening once again. Her face was as red as Kim's Wrangler jeep.<br>"Oh my hairy goat legs, you are just so cute." Kim said poking at Mia cheek. Mia slapped her hand away.  
>"Stop that…" she poked out her lips.<br>Kim, in a sudden urge to show Mia whose the senior and whose just the little kid, suddenly grabbed Mia's cheek and pulled it. She continued to poke at Mia's cheek with her other hand. "_So darn cute_…you're so very cute, aren't you? Aren't you? Yes, yes you are. You're so darn cute!"  
>"Okayyy!" Mia whined, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry!"<br>"Good girl." Kim put a hand to hip, smiling maturely like an older big sister.  
>"Whatever…anyway, could you just go already? This is <em>total <em>torture!" Mia complained, now turning her head to face Kim, her best ghoul friend. "Don't you think you've tortured me enough?"  
>"Of course not," Kim said innocently, letting her head fall to the side. She blinks at Mia, flicking a sugar cube in her mouth.<br>Mia sighed, lifting her Toxic Punch juice box to her lips. She took a quick sip and frowned apologetically at Jackson, her face still red. "Sorry about this, Jackson. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable… Are you uncomfortable?"  
>Jackson glanced up at the metal helmet-shaped <em>thing <em>on the electric chair he was sitting in. if that didn't make him feel uncomfortable…  
>He didn't dare lie, just in case. "Well, yeah, I guess I am. But it's ok! I swear, I really don't mind your friend here…on our date…first date…"<br>Mia sighed again, taking a long sip of her Toxic Punch. She sucked the bright blue star annoyingly.  
>"Oh, am I interrupting?" Kim said, pretending to be clueless. She actually did feel bad about what she was doing, believe it or not, but it wasn't her fault entirely! She'd been feeling bad all day and when she heard that Mia was going to hang out for a bit, she thought she'd tag along for some fun, but then she noticed it'd been a date…<br>"Golly, I think you are, mate." Lagoona said, approaching them. She had been wearing a Coffin Bean employee's apron. She sat down the Coffinccino Kim ordered and the Wolf's bane tea Jackson ordered. On the silver try had also been Mia's Spooky Spirit cookies ghost shaped cookies, along with Kim's blue cheese, raw fish, and swamp lettuce salad and Jackson's Bat-Berry Bites bat shaped cookies.  
>"Well…sorry guys," Kim lifted from her seat. "I guess I'll just…go then. Sorry for ruining this for you guys. Have fun though, okay?"<br>Mia sat down her juice box, her eyes squinting guiltily. "Kim, wait."  
>"Wait?" Kim said, just before she could turn to leave.<br>Mia sighed, as if she would regret this. "Eat your food, then leave."  
>"I can stay?" Kim blinked. "Really?..."<br>"…Really." Mia said, picking back up her juice box. She spared Jackson an apologetic glanced.  
>He smiled tiredly, his eyes flickering from Mia to Kim. "How about taking a seat, Kim? You might as well stay."<p>

"Well…this first date was…eventful?" Jackson said to Mia, glancing over at her as he stood near one of the clothing racks at Rot Topic. Around both his wrist was multiple bags.  
>"I guess, if you want to use that specific word…" Mia replied, holding Kim's other clothing bags. She sighed as Pink sang the chorus to her song "Funhouse". "Sorry again, by the way."<br>"It's fine, I suppose." Jackson offered a half-grin. "This only means that we'll have a second date…right?"  
>"Right," Mia nodded, feeling relieved as she smiled widely. Oh thank goodness Jackson hadn't given up on her after all! He didn't stop liking her after all of this as she had thought! "I'm so happy, you'd actually want to have a second date with me, after…"<br>Jackson watched as Mia flicked her eyes over to the dressing room Kim was trying on clothes in. He chuckled, stepping closer to her. "Why wouldn't I want to have a second date with you, Mia?"  
>Mia giggled, blushing. "Well, um…I don't know, well…" she said shyly, smiling innocently. She didn't meet Jackson's eyes.<br>"Hey Mia, you're my…um…ghoulfriend…right?" Jackson said quietly.  
>Mia nodded, still unable to stop smiling. "Right."<br>Jackson leaded forward, preparing to kiss Mia. Mia looked up at him, her heart beating loudly. She looked away, leaning in too.  
>"So hey guys, I'm, like, gonna buy this one instead, 'kay?" Kim said, suddenly opening the dressing room. Mia heart stopped in fright. Jackson stepped back, moving back for Kim. Kim dropped a pile of clothes on his arms. "Hold these for me, okay? I've still got to try on that one dress."<br>He nodded, rolling his eyes as she walked. "Really…"  
>Mia finally started to breathe again, putting a hand to her heart. "She's scared the life out of me!"<br>Jackson giggled. "I can tell, you're as pale as a ghost."  
>"Hey," Mia slapped his arm playfully. He winced away, offering a teasing grin. "That's offense to all ghosts, you know."<br>"Sorry." He shrugged cutely.  
>Mia let out a giggle, smiling at him with longing eyes. She wanted so badly to kiss him to… "Hey Jackson, thanks for calling you know…earlier and all…about the date."<br>"Well yeah, I just really wanted to spend some time with you." He said, smiling his lovable dorky and crooked smile that Mia just adored. She quickly kissed his cheek, leaving a sticky glossy kiss mark.  
>"Be right, gonna go and help Kim." She said before escaping away. She passed a few clothing racks, finally finding Kim. She'd been searching through some of the shirts that had been hanging above them.<br>"So, hey Mia, what do you think of this one?" Kim said, turning around. In her hands was a purple dress that had been purposely ripped on the sides. Underneath the dress layer of fabric was a black cover dress so that the sides that were ripped had been covered.  
>"It's, um, cute." Mia said, only half paying attention.<br>"And what about with these?" Kim asked, bending down to get a pair of leather black platform boots with spikes.  
>Mia finally looked up to see the outfit Kim had put together. "They look nice, hey, um, Kim, about this date, well-"<br>"Okay good, so they do look nice. Now I was thinking, do you remember that bottle cap belt I let you borrow? Okay, picture that with my no sleeved blue jean vest – do you have the picture? Okay, now put those together with this outfit. Do you think that's too much?" Kim said, trying to picture the outfit herself.  
>Mia considered the outfit. "Well, yeah, sort of, I guess. The belt is a little much, but anyway, about my date-"<br>Kim sighed loudly. "I thought as much, but I really like that belt. Jeepers, when am I finally going to wear that thing? I seriously need an outfit to go with it!"  
>"Yeah, I know," Mia agreed. "But about the-"<br>"I mean really, it's the coolest thing in my closet, but I don't have anything that'll go with it." Kim rolled her eyes.  
>"Yeah, I know, but hey Kim, about-"<br>"Maybe skinny jeans and a half-top?" Kim thought. "Oh mu hairy goat legs, that's so purrfect! Wow, how cool am I, right?"  
>"Right, " Mia nodded, "but-"<br>"And how about that with…" Kim paused, glancing to the spikes. "These boots! That's so _rock_, don't you think?"  
>"Yes, I do, but Kim-"<br>"Oh yay! I _finally _have an outfit for Friday! Oh crap, did I even _tell _you about Friday? I _so _can't wait because-"  
>Mia stomped her foot, causing Kim to stop talking. "Kim, oh my ghoul! You're being so <em>rude<em> right now! Will you listen to me for just a second? I'm _trying _to say something here, stop ignoring me!"  
>"Oh…" Kim turned around to put the dress back so that Mia didn't see her pained expression. "…Um, sorry about that, Mia. What was it that you wanted to say?"<br>Mia let out a long sigh. "Okay," she looked up at Kim. "What I was _trying _to say was that, about this date, I really, _really _want to make it mean something since it's our first date and all and so…we're um…"  
>Mia didn't finish her sentence as Kim started to cry. Kim looked away, squinting her eyes. "Don't stop…keeping talking…"<br>"Um…Kim, what's wrong?" Mia blinked, confused. "Why are you crying? Did I do something? Um…are you OK?"  
>"I'm sorry," Kim said wiping away her tears with her sleeve. Her frown twitched just a bit. "It's just that I've been feeling really lonely lately. I mean, I see you at school all the time, but I'm really lonely at home, you know? It's not even your fault, Mia, so please don't think that. It's just that…my grandma died the day before yesterday…and she was like my best friend and all, you know? Sort of like a mom…"<br>"Oh my ghoul, Kim, you big idiot!" Mia said, attaching herself to her best ghoul friend. She hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you say anything before? I would've totally understood!"  
>"I was…trying to get over it…" Kim said, not taking her leather jacket sleeve away from her eyes as she started to cry again.<br>Mia sighed. "You big idiot, your allowed to feel pain. It's ok for you to cry as long as you want!"  
>Jackson walked up to them, looking around as other monsters started to stare. His eyes met with Mia's. "Everything OK here? Is Kim alright?"<br>"No," Mia lifted her eyebrows, tears forming. She blinked, trying to rid herself of her. She really wanted to go on a date with Jackson, her very first date, and have so much fun with him, but then there was Kim… She couldn't just leave her like this after all… "Her grandma died the day before yesterday…and…I want to comfort her, but…there's you. I don't know what to do…" Mia admitted.  
>"It's OK, I guess. I mean hey, she's your best friend, and her grandma just died after all. Of course you'd want to…comfort her…" Jackson looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Somehow, he suddenly began to feel unwanted and just a bit angry at Kim. He knew it wasn't fair of him to be angry at Mia, but she was the reason he could never spend time with his girlfriend. Kim walked to school with Mia, was the first one to find her at lunch whenever Jackson didn't have to work at the Scarebrary, and she seemed to just spend up all of Mia's time. He wanted time with her to, but…he knew he was making a selfish request.<br>"I'm sorry, Jackson." Mia lowered her eyes.  
>"It's alright, Mia." He gave her a small grin, trying to comfort her doubts. "I'll just…see you next time, okay?"<br>Mia nodded. "Okay…see you."  
>"Bye." Jackson said before sitting all of Kim's yet to be purchased clothes on the floor and leaving Rot Topic. He pulled out his iCoffin, giving a call to neighbor, Draculaura. He always confined in her whenever he had a problem he couldn't tell Frankie. He suddenly remembered Frankie, wondering if she still liked him, and if he still liked her… Had he truly gotten over Frankie so quickly?<p>

"Sorry about this, Mia. One second, okay?" Dakota said as he lifted from his clean, yet cold wooden floor. He slide open the Japanese door with his foot and quickly closed it. He sat down to his blue futon.  
>"Sorry again, I didn't know my mom would be blasting "She Wolf" when she got home…"<br>"It's OK…" Mia mumbled, rolling over to her side. She sighed.  
>"What's wrong, Mia? Trouble in Paradise?" Dakota asked, leaning away from the screen to grab Kristoff's bag of Corn Portage Japanese chips. He returned to the screen and opened the bag.<br>Mia rolled over to her back, turning her head to him. She watched as he started to eat chip with one hand and began to text with the other. "Why ask what's wrong if you don't really care? Really…"  
>"Hontou…" he repeated. "You were taking too long to answer."<br>"Well _sorry_!" Mia shouted, her face expression turning sour. "I just thought that maybe you'd _listen _as I reflected on my _day_, but as I can see, your totally _not _interested so just _don't _ask! God, you're so annoying sometimes! I can't even count on you in serious situations!"  
>"Maji de?" Dakota said, eating his chips and texting away. "Hidio ne?"<br>"What does that even mean?" Mia said, throwing a fit as she started to kick and swing her arms around wildly, acting like a child flipping out and having a fit in a grocery store whenever they couldn't get whatever is it they wanted.  
>Dakota sighed, continuing to eat. With his mouth open, he speaks. "Maji de – mah-gee-day: seriously? Hidio ne – he-doe-ee nay: Isn't that terrible? Both are informal speech that should only be used around close friends or people who are the same age as you…never use informal language around teachers or people who are older than you. Trust me: you don't ever want to learn that lesion. My seniors are pretty brutal…guess it's' cause I'm the new guys though – and pretty popular too. Most guys feel I should just 'learn my place', whatever that means. I get bullied quite a lot actually, really hurts sometimes too. But you get use to it when you're dating a super hot Japanese girl who makes you <em>kawaii <em>lunches. "  
>"Maybe you should get bullied…it'll do you some good." Mia stops to breathe. She closes her eyes, breathing deeply.<br>"Ah," Dakota sighed, as if he could care less. He continues texting speedily. "Cruel. Baka-chan is sooo cruelll."  
>"Whatever…" Mia begins to cry. She starts to hiccup, wheezing as tears fall. She covers her face, crying historically. In that moment, she begins to think of Jackson and the sad look of his face. She then thinks of Kim.<br>She starts to feel tired, torn being a friend and a boyfriend. 


	10. Chapter 10

[ Chapter 10 ]

"Well, at least your eye seems to be getting better. At least it's not as purple…black-ish sort of anymore," Jackson observed, leaning forward to better study Mia's eye. He blinked, lifting his warm white mug. He took a long sip of his Wolf's Bane tea, before leaning back to the plush of the red booth seat. "So anyway, how's Kim doing?"  
>Mia pulled down the beak of her navy blue baseball cap, as if hiding. "I dunno actually, we haven't talked lately. She's been sort of…distant."<br>"Oh, really?" Jackson said before yawning. His mouth openly widely. He quickly covered it before his eyes squinted close.  
>Mia let out a soft giggle, reaching over the white table to poke at his soft cheek. "So rude. Am I that boring?"<br>"Of course not, Mia! I'm just a bit tired." He said as he lifted his hands in protest, trying to defend himself.  
>"Oh, so I'm making you sleepy? Wow, I must be a bad date then." Mia responded, folding her arms as she puffed up her cheeks as Cara did. Because she had been short, [fun size! Also known as petite! A] it made her look as if she had been a child, preparing to throw a tantrum. Jackson smiled, reaching over to pet the creamy vanilla blonde of her mane. He took her hat, placed it to his head, and rustled the top of her head. She shook her head in protest.<br>"It's the Wolf's Bane tea making me sleepy, it's very warm and makes you feel all fuzzy inside, you know." He said, continuing to pet her head.  
>She wrinkled her nose, gave her head one last shake. When Jackson removed his large hand, she fixed her hair, combing through it with small, thin fingers.<br>"I don't believe you." She said, poking out her lips.  
>"Fine then," Jackson put en elbow on the table. His rested his chin to the palm of his hand. With his other hand, he lifted up his white mug. "Try some and I can bet you'll believe me then."<br>Mia's eyes blinked down, looking blankly at the mug. Her eyes then blinked back up to him. "Really? I can try some?"  
>"Of course." He nodded, encouraging that she take the cup. He dropped it, knowing she would take it. She caught it with both hands.<br>"Well, if you insist." She said, staring at the steaming lukewarm pale brown colored tea with white foam cream shaped somewhat like a moon and a green leaf in it. She looked up one last time at Jackson before quickly pressing the mug to her lips and leaning her head back. In one quick sip, without hesitating a moment longer, she lifted the top forward and drank down the tea with closed eyes.  
>Jackson chuckled softly. "Well, is it good?"<br>Mia lowered the mug, giving a pleased nod and satisfied smile. "It's much better than I thought! And you're right, it does make you a little sleepy, so I forgive you – for now."  
>Jackson shook his head, watching as Mia took another long sip of his tea. "Glad you enjoy it."<br>Just then a waitress approached them, dressed in an all white uniform that consisted of a short-sleeved button-up shirt that required being tucked in because it had been too long and oversized, a knee-high skirt with no pockets, socks, and roller blades. The apron that she wore around her neck that flowed down to the white skirt of her uniform had been red, along with red lipstick she wore.  
>"May I take your order?" she asked energetically, a pen and yellow tablet in hand. Her all-black eyes were bright with enjoyment.<br>Mia sat down the almost empty mug, picking up her white menu with red lining just as Jackson did. She glanced at it half-heartedly, only looking at the salad and drinks sides. "I'll have a Blue cheese, raw fish, and swamp lettuce salad with the…Wolf's Bane tea please."  
>Jackson gave his menu to the bouncy waitress, offering a shy crooked grin. "As for me, I'll have the Scary Berry pancakes with bananas and caramel. I would also like the Blood&amp;Boo-Berry Milkshake – but without the, um, blood part please…"<br>"Oh, um, okay," the waitress blinked aimlessly. "Well, how about strawberry then? I hear strawberry also goes well with boo-berries."  
>"Perfect, I'll have my milkshake with strawberry then." Jackson smiled, thankful to the waitress for her offer.<br>"'Kay, be back soon guys – uh, ghoul, and manster, I mean!" she said with a giggle before skating off.  
>"She goes to our school, you know." Mia said, taking a sip of Jackson's Wolf Bane tea. She glanced at Jackson. "She's friends with the ghost ghoul that punched me in the eye <em>and <em>got me detention…her name is something like Rhaechel, I think."  
>"It's Rhaechel Myreep, I just saw on her nametag." Jackson said, taking away the mug. He drank the last of the soothing calm tea. "So, hey, did that ghoul even apologize to you for giving you a black eye?"<br>"Well, no, not really…" Mia sighed, wishing the whole situation had never happened to begin with. "But that's OK if she doesn't."  
>"You sure about that? I mean really, Mia…she gave you a black eye."<br>Jackson sighs, concerned.  
>"Well then…should I <em>make<em> her apologize instead?" Mia asked, looking up to Jackson. Her eyes are intense with seriousness.  
>Suddenly, plates come crashing down, slamming against the white of their table. Both Mia and Jackson jump back, avoiding flying food. They look up at their waitress, slightly glaring.<br>"Oh no, looks like I forgot something." The ghost ghoul with transparent chalk colored skin says. She takes the black hair-tie from her wrist, ties up her white hair with almost unseen hints of pale purple. She sniffs, suddenly bouncing as she cracks her neck.  
>"What do you think you're doing?" Jackson asked, angry.<br>"Gimme a sec and I'll be happy to show you." She answers, reaching over to the next empty booth. She grabs the cold white and red milkshake and steaming pale brown tea off the table. Next thing you know, she's pouring them on both Jackson and Mia.  
>Jackson stands, his fists slamming against the table. "What is your problem? You can't do this!"<br>Mia stares at her thick hand-knitted and bright yellow with pink polka dot sweater in shock. She glances over to her arm when she reaches it out to see the white cream of Jackson's milkshake covering her dark denim jacket. She looks down at her fade blue oversized jeans, notice that there covered in white cream and red strawberry flavored filling. "You're kidding, right?" she says under her breathe.  
>Jackson glances at Mia's blonde hair that had been tied in a messy low ponytail. It too was white of the cream in the milkshake. She looks back at the waitress. "Where's your boss? I want to speak to her!"<br>Mia glances up to Jackson, who's yellow, black, grey, and pale green vest is discolored from the pale brown tea. His hair too was stained. Mia stands, siding with Jackson. "We can get you _fired _for this, you know! I mean really, how dare you? Who do you think you are?"  
>"That ghoul that'll give you another black eyes if you don't shut your trap." The ghost ghoul says, flinching forward.<br>Mia flinched back, putting up her fist to her chest in defense. She looked the ghost ghoul up and down, and then gasped. "Oh my sugar cubes – it's you! _You're _the ghoul that hit me!"  
>"Bring out your manager <em>immediately<em>! I think she should know about the type of monster she hired." Jackson says, glaring.  
>"<em>Fine<em>!" the ghost ghoul said, snaring. She spun around, stomping off into the Employees Only section of the diner. After a few moments the red double doors opened and with her she dragged out another ghoul. She wore a full-faced helmet that was black. As they approached them, Jackson noted the black aura coming from the ghoul's sleeves. He wondered what type of monster she'd been. As they stopped into of him and Mia, a girly pink iPhone suddenly appeared in the ghoul's hand. Jackson noticed that it had been made out of the black smoke that arose from her clothes.  
><em>What's the problem? <em>Her text read.  
>"Do you <em>see <em>what your employee has done here?" Jackson says, glancing to Mia. "How could you hire someone like this?"  
><em>Hire? <em>The text read. _Oh, no, I'm just her friend and coworker…  
><em>"This is really too much." Mia said quietly.  
>"Then leave. You're bad business, not welcomed here. Go." The ghost ghoul said, folding her arms as she glared with a blank stare. Her nose wrinkled as she rolled her eyes. Mia jaw clenched. What did she do to deserve this? What did she do wrong to be treated this way? <br>Had she possible been a vampire and taken the souls of multiple villages in her past life? Had she done something so wrong?  
>"Jackson…let's just go." She said, stepping out from the booth and taking Jackson's hand. He followed quietly, not wanting to more upset Mia. He felt she'd gone through just as much as she could handle today.<br>"I'm sorry, Mia. Maybe today hasn't the best day for a date." He said as they exited the restaurant.  
>"Yeah," Mia said, stopping. She turned to face him. "I guess not."<p>

"I hate today…" Mia sang, spreading across her bed as if she'd been preparing to make a snow angel. She stared up at her bedroom's naked ceiling, in a daze. She continued to sing, "…today's not a good day."  
>"It wasn't for me," Dakota replied, although he hadn't needed to. "A lot of good things happened today, normal things of course, but good things. I saw a monster cockroach and just had to document it. I got a pretty great photo actually…also: Miya-Miya and I went for a walk after school to this one park. There weren't a lot of people so it was pretty relaxing actually. I've found out that my favorite drinks are Royal Milk Tea and Calpis – which, by the way, I just noticed sounds like cow piss. On the way home we held hands for the first time and counted vending machines. Then her mom let me stay for dinner when I walked her home. I got to use chopsticks like scissors, which seemed funny to everyone else. And then I had a total Pink-shirt Alert because Miya wanted to joke around. To make fun of how I'm not use to doing normal couple stuff, she bought us making pink shirts from Japanese Wal-Mart. Oh, and did I mention that her old man is the Ultimate Cool-guy-Badass? He's kind of old, but cool for sure. We get along pretty well, says I'm a good brat so he'll let me date his daughter. Nice, right? And her mom is a total chick. She's kind of one of those girly type of mothers, but she's wise and all so she's got this chick-sense to. Can't say that makes sense…my bad, it's hard to explain. Think of the mom from the drama Playful Kiss. She's kind of like that, you know? Anyway, her older brother is pretty cool too. He seems to be really into basketball – and guys. He's gay, parents could care less. He's really competitive…trust me: never play basketball with that guy. Anyway, he taught me something cool: Oi, yume de aimashou. It means, hey, see you in your dreams. Nice, right? I also got to meet her kid brother. He's into games, game-boy DS games to be exact. He loves that stuff. He seems to be a comp techi, you know, one of those computer nerds. He's a good kid though, always listens to Miyako if not anyone else and does his homework on time – eats his veggies too. And then there's Miyako…when I was done her family, we got to hang out a bit before I left. She's amazing pretty much, makes me think maybe she's <em>the <em>one, you know? When I think of my future, she's usually in it. But, um, anyway…I think her eyes are the most beautiful thing about her. Is it just because she's Asian? I can't really explain it, but it's like the standards of Asian eyes, like how they don't meet up to the Western standard eyes - or how they look like the color black but hold so many different things in them. Sort of like they tell all these amazing stories through just one...dark color. I can't really explain it, but it's cool dude."  
>Mia suddenly let out a loud groan, kicking her feet. Her eyes darted to her computer screen, right at Dakota. He shuddered, feeling her glare. "Would you <em>stop <em>rambling on about _your _perfect life? No one even _asked _you about _your _life, globes, so annoying…"  
>"Hidio ne?" Dakota shrugged lazily.<br>Mia's glare became more intense. "Shut up, you're annoying."  
>"Urusai," he said, throwing the word back at her. "Mia, urusai."<br>"Why must you keep talking about your happy go-lucky life, huh?" Mia yelled, her face flustered and turning red from anger. "Why is your life so much better than mine _you _broke up with _me_? And how do you even have the confidence to tell me these things, huh? Ah, baka! Baka, baka, baka! How do you think hearing about your perfect and happy life makes me feel? Do you think I'm happy listening to you babble on and on about your life? Do you think it pleases me? It doesn't! It's like a double sided knife – as a friend, I'm so happy, but as an ex, it makes me want to scratch your eyes out! How…how can you be so much happier than me…when I'm the one that suffered the heartbreak…"  
>Dakota sighed as his childhood friend began to cry. Why was this happening? Why did she cry whenever they spoke?<br>"Don't cry…it totally doesn't suit you…only women who are beautiful when they cry are allowed to cry. Haven't I said this since we were kids? So stop crying, tears make you look ugly." He said quietly, looking away as she cried.  
>"So does that mean…that I was never beautiful in your eyes?" Mia blinked, more tears running from her eyes and down to her well-shaved sideburns. They fell to the cover of her bed, leaving the smallest of stains. "Because I was not beautiful…did you never see me as a woman? Was I just a girl…not even that, but a friend?"<br>"I'm…going to log off now. I'm sorry if my telling you about my life seems to be a bold move on my part, but…if I didn't have the guts to face you on a computer screen…and try to convince you that I'm doing better, I wouldn't be able to face you at all. So, for both our sakes, stop crying and get well. We broke up long ago and both our lives aren't so bad. So Mia, realize that you'll feel better…when you decide that moving on is best. Whenever you decide that…you're ready to move on, I can promise that you won't always feel left behind…"  
>"Whatever…" Mia said, now getting up. She clicked off the chat room, clicked off the computer, turned her lights off, and laid in her bed, silent for the rest of the night.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

[ Chapter 11 ]

Mia, once again spread across her bed, blinked as she stared up at the ceiling. She recalled the dazed expression on that one ghost ghoul's face. She blinked, remembering the horrifying look that revealed once she waited the table of mysterious boy. Mia rolled over to her stomach, rested her cheek to the softness of her warm bed.  
>"Hey Dakota." She said suddenly.<br>Dakota, on Mia's computer screen, looked up from his manga. "So you're finally done spacing out. Yeah, what's up?"  
>"Come back to school, I'm lonely." Mia mumbled quietly to blank walls. "I'm…all alone here, I've got no friends."<br>"You've got Jackson, right?" Dakota questioned, going back to reading his manga. "You can't be that lonely then, so my answer is no. I'm not coming back, you don't need me."  
>"Dakota," Mia blinked, seeming lifeless and worn out. She could feel the tiredness in her bones. "Some ghoul I don't know hates me. My boyfriend doesn't call unless I call first. You're in Japan with Rocco and Kris…so…there's…really no one. I'm all alone. Please…won't you come back to school? Don't you hate it there?"<br>Dakota sighed, his eyes slightly glancing over the page so that he could stare at her best friend. His eyes became intense, honest. "I hate the hiding, I guess. I could do without the constantly sweating from wearing my old baseball cap, sure. The shaving twice daily is a drag, of course. And I'd rather not lie to my girlfriend, yeah. But no…I don't think I hate it here. It's very…neutral here, the people are kind. Reserved and indifferent, but surely kind. They mean well, but are strict and follow discipline as much as possible. I don't mind it here, for now."  
>"Baka…hontou…no fair, you seem so at peace. No…fair. I just…I want to be mean to you now because you're doing so much better. No fair, Mia isn't doing OK, but you're well off without me…as if…you don't need me. Are you not lonely?" Mia blinked again, trying to hold back the tears. She sniffed, coving her mouth with the back of her hand.<br>Dakota watched, preparing to read as he flipped another page. He watched in silence as tears sprinkled down her fair skinned cheeks. She was quick to cover them by resting her arm over her moist eyes. Dakota sighed once more. "Ie, I'm not lonely. I have more than Mia as my friend. And yes, I am well-off. I'm doing much better than what we both expected. I…don't need to lean on Mia's shoulder anymore. Mia…is no longer needed."  
>Mia began to choke, suffocating under the weight of her tears and that bitter feeling of unwanted-ness. "I'm always the cry baby…but at least…at least I…I got to feel needed! When you needed someone to cry on I was there – right next to you, crying at your side. Not for me, but for you because you needed the support! So why…why is Mia no longer needed? Am I no longer someone of importance?"<br>"I have…found confidence." Dakota said in a low voice, gluing his eyes to the page of his manga, trying not to fall into Mia's trap. "Thanks to Miya-Miya, I have…found something like confidence."  
>"Why couldn't you just stay being a coward? So that I…could continue being a coward too…" Mia said quietly, her voice trembling and cracking. Dakota stayed silent, listening and listening to her choking sobs and gasps of breath. He listened, as she had done for him so many times ago. It seemed now, it had been <em>his <em>to support _her_.

_*Too lazy to write more~  
>Hoped you liked to short chapter, write more later, baibai-3<em>


	12. Explanation

It's been a while, hasn't it? How are you all? I'm terribly sorry for not doing any updates on my stories. I know it's been a very long time since I've uploaded new chapters, but please continue to be my readers. And please don't hate me!

You see, the reason I haven't done any updating with my stories is due to a lack of inspiration. Writing without inspiration makes me feel like writing is just a job, and in result my stories don't turn out too good. I would hate for you all to have to read stories of mine that lack in an actual story. After all, I want my readers to enjoy my stories and be engaged in them!

So please, try to put up with me not updating for now. I won't stop writing, promise. :)


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